Dr. Susan Pheasant arrived at Fresno State on Aug.1, 2018 — when it was 108 degrees —from Monterey. She received a warm Fresno State welcome in so many ways!

Despite the heat, Pheasant is thrilled to be serving as the director of the Institute for Food and Agriculture, one of three centers in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences & Technology. The others include the Viticulture and Enology Research Center and the Center for Irrigation Technology.

"The vision of these three centers is to collaboratively position Fresno State as being recognized as the 'go to' university for applied agricultural research by leveraging faculty expertise, student engagement, University Agricultural Laboratory (the farm), research facilities (JARC) and industry partnerships," she said.

At IFA, Pheasant focuses on applied research opportunities specifically within agribusiness, food science and nutrition, animal science, ag education, child and family studies and entomology.

IFA also works with faculty and industry to disseminate research findings via workshops, trainings, conferences, publications, etc. Already in 2019, IFA is involved with outreach work related to calf health, livestock artificial insemination, Salumi 101, Bulldog BBQ Bootcamp (coming in June, open to all backyard chefs), International Restaurateurs Study Tour, and farm and rural appraisal.

With more than 400 different agricultural commodities commercially produced in Fresno County, there is always an opportunity for outreach and learning.

"Fresno State is incredibly blessed to have a working University Agricultural Laboratory of 1,000 acres directly across the street from the core campus," she said. "I greatly appreciate being part of the amazing Jordan College team, and I am full of gratitude for the Ag One Foundation staff and their multi-faceted roles in mobilizing resources on behalf of JCAST students and the University Agricultural Laboratory."

Pheasant’s educational background includes degrees in agricultural economics and business administration (Washington State University), as well as a M.B.A. in ag specialization (Cal Poly) and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. incorporating ag econ, marketing, education and rural sociology (Washington State University) to evaluate how growers make decisions to adopt new technologies and ideas.

In terms of industry service, Pheasant collaborates with food-safety experts around the country to steward the Harmonized food safety standard and serves on the GLOBALG.A.P. national technical working group.

For the past four and a half years, Pheasant was director of the Ag Business and Technology Institute at Hartnell College in Salinas. Key ABTI initiatives included 2+2 baccalaureate degree paths in agribusiness and crop and soil science, applying for a pilot BS degree in food safety, launching a Farmworker Education and Advancement program aimed at providing STEM content applicable to field workers to increase their understanding and potential for career upward mobility, and hosting educational/outreach events such as the Western Food Safety Summit, the Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit and the field demo day for the Forbes Ag Tech Summit.

Prior to working at Hartnell College, Pheasant consulted with national and international agribusinesses and nonprofit organizations to implement change technologies and educational programs, help growers prepare for third-party food safety certification audits and conduct audits in the fresh fruit/vegetable industries.

"I am part of a six-generation lineage of apple growers within the United States," she said. "However, my friends fondly describe me as a 'world nomad fruit bum.'"

Pheasant shares her home with a rescue kitten from Fresno State and an Australian Shepherd mix rescue dog. She is pursuing a quest to visit all of the national parks in the U.S. and as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible on the planet. She also enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, cooking and is learning to quilt.