North Dakota State University Names New Extension Pesticide Specialist

Madeleine Smith has joined North Dakota State University as an Extension pesticide specialist. Joining Oct. 2, Smith has been working on the NDSU campus in Fargo, North Dakota. 

She has served NDSU as an Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Pembina County for almost five years. She has enjoyed working with farmers and ranchers and helped administer the private pesticide recertification training for applicators. 

Since Smith started, the NDSU Pesticide Certification Program has already conducted three commercial recertification trainings, as well as Extension agent and support staff in-service training. 

Madeleine Smith:

"I hope that through the certification and training program we can help applicators stay connected to regulations, safety information, emerging application technologies and new research on pest management."

Smith is excited to build on the program that Andrew Thostenson developed and managed for nearly 30 years. She is looking forward to fulfilling the needs of pesticide applicators as agriculture continues to evolve in North Dakota. 

Smith worked for three years on viral diseases of sugarbeet at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Amarillo before moving to the University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center where she worked as an Extension specialist in small grains and canola pathology. 

Smith is from Nottinghamshire, England. She completed her bachelor’s degree in plant science, masters in plant breeding and biotechnology and Ph.D. in plant and environmental science specializing in plant pathology in the United Kingdom.