Zhiqiang Cheng, Ph.D., is the new Assistant Specialist, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, CTAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI.
Dr. Zhiqiang Cheng is a scientist working on the biology, ecology, and management of turfgrass and urban landscapes, as well as on soil ecology, and environmental bio-indicators. Dr. Cheng obtained his Ph.D. degree (Environmental Science) from The Ohio State University (OSU), and worked in the Department of Entomology at OSU prior to joining University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Cheng has over 10 years of research experience in the ecology and management of turfgrass and urban landscapes. He has given presentations in many international and national conferences, meetings, and workshops. Dr. Cheng has been managing the Soil Ecology Lab of Agroecosystems Management Program at OSU since September 2008. He has also been working closely with the industry. For example, he has conducted research projects in collaboration with TruGreen Chemlawn Company, and MTD Corporation, respectively. Further, Dr. Cheng is one of the founding members of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS), and has been serving on the Awards Committee of AESS since 2009. In addition, Dr. Cheng serves as peer-reviewer for many premium scientific journals, including Pest Management Science, Journal of Nematology, Journal of Forestry, Compost Science and Utilization, Applied Soil Ecology, and more.
Dr. Cheng’s duties and responsibilities include:
- Collaborating with researchers, specialists, extension agents and the turf and landscape industries to plan, coordinate, and deliver an integrated, statewide extension outreach and instruction program that services the turfgrass and landscape industries;
- Conducting an applied research and outreach program on pest management for turfgrass and landscape that is supported with extramural funding;
- Contributing to the departmental graduate and undergraduate programs by teaching courses such as, but not limited to, turfgrass and landscape pest management, graduate seminars, and other courses that complement the department’s curriculum;
- Developing and coordinating a distance-delivered turfgrass and landscape management program; and 5) Providing service to the college, university and community.
More specifically, Dr. Cheng’s extension and research efforts focus on:
- IPM for lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and urban landscapes;
- understanding ecological interactions among turfgrass/landscape plants, pests, soil, and other environmental factors;
- testing/selecting effective yet environmental-friendly pesticides/fertilizers; and
- testing biocontrol methods on broader spectrum of pests in Hawaii.