By Gary Gao, PhD
Extension Specialist and Associate Professor OSU South Centers
Dr. Gary Gao, co-leader of the Center for Specialty Crops at OSU South Centers, is very happy to announce that Dr. Pengfei Wang and Mr. Ricardo Bordignon Medina have joined the fruit research and extension team.
Dr. Wang is an associate professor of pomology at the College of Horticulture of Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, Shanxi, China, where he has been conducting breeding research on Chinese dwarf cherries and also teaches pomology classes.
He received his PhD, MS, and BS from Shanxi Agricultural University and has many years of knowledge and experience working in fruit science.
Dr. Wang will be involved in all of the fruit research projects at South Centers with a focus on on blueberries, elderberries, and wine grapes.
Medina is currently a PhD candidate of Plant Physiology and biochemistry at University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
He also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in fruit science to the fruit program. Medina received a MS in Horticulture, working on blueberries for his MS research. He also received his BS in agronomic engineering and studied citrus at the University of Florida.
Medina will conduct several research projects on raspberries while he is at The Ohio State University. He first found Gao while searching for raspberry research and extension programs in the United States. He has also done quite a bit of extension work in Brazil. He organized workshops for commercial growers and students.
“I am very excited to have both as members of our team,” said Gao. “Both Dr. Wang and Mr. Medina will be staying with us for one year.”
Medina was borne in Campinas, São Paulo. He likes many sports including basketball, football (soccer), and volleyball. He also likes plants, fruits, and travel and has two brothers and two sisters.
Dr. Wang is married and has two daughters.