Sandipa Gautam

Sandipa Gautam, Ph.D. joined the UC Integrated Pest Management Statewide Program Operations in July 2021 as an Area Citrus IPM Advisor and is stationed at the Lindcove Research. Her research and extension program studies strategies for integrated pest management (IPM) to manage arthropod pests in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The current focus of the program is studying the seasonal phenology of an emerging pest citrus mealybug, screening pesticide efficacies for key citrus pests, testing pests for pesticide resistance and resistance management strategies, and developing postharvest control methods for pests of export concern.

Prior to the current position, Gautam was an Assistant Research Entomologist with Department of Entomology, UC Riverside. Her research program focused on managing citrus pests that have export significance. Gautam’s graduate and post-doc studies focused on investigating ecology and biology of insect pest species, comparing egg morphologies to explore possible mechanisms of tolerance to fumigants, evaluating efficacies of fumigants to be used as postharvest fumigant, and resistance management. Gautam has received several awards including the “Graduate Research Excellence Award” by Oklahoma State University for her M.S. and Ph.D. research, and a national award from the President of Nepal for her outstanding performance in B.S. Agriculture in 2007.