CORPUS CHRISTI – The Department of Entomology and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service recently named Robert Bowling to the position of Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Corpus Christi.
Bowling will start his position on July 1 and will replace the position that was recently held by Dr. Roy Parker until he retired on August 31, 2013.
Bowling first joined the Department and Extension in 2000 as an Extension Agent – Integrated Pest Management in Dumas, Texas. While he was in Dumas, he has cooperated with area consultants, producers and other agricultural professionals to help mitigate pest outbreaks, organized research and demonstration programs and identify insects.
Bowling also was a field agronomist for Pioneer Hi-Bred International from 2005 until 2014. As field agronomist, he served a four-state region that included the Texas High Plains, New Mexico, southeast Colorado and the Oklahoma Panhandle.
During the time he was at Pioneer, Bowling was responsible for diagnosing field production issues in corn and sorghum and providing outreach programs for various audiences that cover advances in corn technologies and training the company’s sales force on topics, such as agronomic characteristics of corn and sorghum hybrids, proper placement of corn hybrids, and diagnosing field production issues. He also provided computer support to sales reps and account managers and assisted account managers with building educational presentations and articles relating to potential agronomic issues for crop advisors.
Bowling has received numerous awards, including the Pioneer Leader of Distinction and Circle of Excellence Awards, the Texas Pest Management Association’s Excellence in IPM Programming Award in 2004, and First place in Texas State Extension for Research and Result Demonstration Handbook in 2001.
Bowling received his Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from West Texas State University and his Masters of Science and Ph.D. degrees in entomology from Kansas State University.
“Dr. Bowling has a very strong work ethic and excellent abilities to communicate and work with people,” said Dr. Charles Allen, statewide IPM Coordinator and Associate Department Head for Extension Entomology Progams. “We are proud and very fortunate to be able to bring on Dr. Bowling to work with producers and others with insect related problems in the Coastal Bend region.”