Sherif Sherif has been named assistant professor of horticulture stationed at the Alson H. Smith, Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

He is one of a number of new faculty members recently hired in the college this academic year. New positions were identified to bring talent to the college's focus areas, including food, health, the environment, and community viability. The new faculty members are distributed across teaching, research, and Extension.

Sherif will be responsible for developing research and extension programs that support and improve the productivity and profitability of Virginia fruit producers. Sherif's research focuses on improving the efficiency of horticultural crop production through the selection of appropriate cultivars and rootstocks; improvement of fruit yield, quality and storability; enhancing plant adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses; discovery of safer, yet effective, approaches for disease management; and application of contemporary approaches in germplasm development.

Sherif's extension activities are largely based on direct communication with all constituents of the tree fruit industry in Virginia, through workshops, regional meetings, fruit schools, and on-farm visits. His extension program also aims at engaging a wide audience beyond the commercial fruit producers through social media and blogs.

Sherif received both his bachelor's degree in horticulture and his master's degree in horticulture from Alexandria University and his doctorate in plant agriculture from the University of Guelph.

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