Gerald Holmes, Ph.D.

Center Director

Office Locations: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 1B & 11-114

Phone: (805) 756-2120

Email: gjholmes@calpoly.edu

Gerald is the founding Director of the Strawberry Center. He earned a B.Sc. in Agronomy from Cal Poly Pomona and his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from UC Riverside. He began his career as a Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor in Imperial County, then served for 12 years as an Extension Vegetable Pathologist and Associate Professor at North Carolina State University, followed by six years as a fungicide Product Development Manager at Valent USA Corporation. Gerald became Director of the Strawberry Center in 2014.

His background in applied plant pathology—spanning academia, cooperative extension, and industry—provides him with a well-rounded and uniquely relevant perspective for his current role. 

Shashika Hewavitharana, Ph.D.

Plant pathology program leader & assistant professor

Office Location: 11-249 & 11-206

Phone: (805) 756-2856

Email: shewavit@calpoly.edu

Shashika is the Plant Pathology Program Leader at the Strawberry Center. She leads federal, state, and industry-funded research on emerging strawberry diseases, recurrent above-ground and below-ground strawberry diseases, and disease management. She oversees the disease diagnostic service and supervises undergraduate and graduate students on their senior projects and MS theses on strawberry cultivar resistance, field sanitation, identification of emerging pathogens, and alternatives to soil fumigation. 

She earned her B.Sc. in Plant Biotechnology from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Washington State University (WSU). After her postdoctoral study at WSU, she joined Cal Poly in 2019 with a unique 50:50 appointment with the Plant Sciences Department and the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. She teaches PLSC 323 (Plant Pathology), PLSC 427 (Diseases and Pest Control Systems of ornamental plants), PLSC 428 (Advanced Plant Pathology), and AG 581 (Graduate Seminar) classes. A unique opportunity of her position is that she gets to interact with the students, growers, and the industry. 

Samantha Simard 

Assistant Research Scientist

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park, Ste. 1B) 

Phone: (805) 748-4414

Email: ssimard@calpoly.edu

Samantha is the Associate Research Scientist at the Strawberry Center, where she leads applied research to support the California strawberry industry. Her work focuses on fungicide efficacy, host resistance, and soilborne pathogen management, and she oversees molecular diagnostics for the pathology lab.  

She earned her M.S. in Agriculture with a specialization in Plant Protection Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and her B.S. in Agriculture with an emphasis in Natural Resource and Range Management from Southern Utah University. Samantha is passionate about advancing plant disease management and takes pride in delivering accurate, timely diagnostic results that help growers make informed, effective decisions in the field. 

Mohammad A. Aghaee, Ph.D.

entomology program Leader

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 1B

Phone: (805) 540-1489

Email: maghaee@calpoly.edu

Mohammad is the Entomology Program Leader at the Strawberry Center, where he leads research efforts focused on the biological control of key pests in strawberry production, including twospotted spider mites and Lygus hesperus. He joined the Strawberry Center in 2023. Previously, he was a field scientist at Bayer and completed his postdoctoral work at NC State under Dr. Dominic Reisig.

He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Entomology from UC Davis and holds a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, Genetics, and Plant Biology from UC Berkeley with a minor in Forestry. His work integrates laboratory and field research to improve integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, evaluate pesticide compatibility with beneficial arthropods, and assess novel technologies. He is committed to advancing sustainable agriculture through collaborative, science-based solutions.

Colin Koubek 

Entomology Research associate

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park, Ste. 1A-101) 

Phone: (805) 756-2150 

Email: ckoubek@calpoly.edu

Colin is the Entomology Research Associate at the Strawberry Center. He works on evaluating the efficacy of insecticides and miticides against key strawberry pests, monitoring insecticide resistance, and investigating sustainable alternatives for pest management.

He earned his B.S. in Plant Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Plant Protection Science while working full-time with the Center’s research team. He holds a Pest Control Adviser (PCA) license, Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) certification, and a Qualified Applicator Certificate (QAC). He is particularly interested in advancing pest control through biological control, sterile insect technique, and optimizing insecticide performance.

John Lin, Ph.D.

Automation Program Leader

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 104A

Phone: (805) 867-3086

Email: jlin134@calpoly.edu

John is the Director of Automation Engineering for the Strawberry Center and the California Strawberry Commission. He has more than 10 years of professional experience in agricultural research and development and received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland. 

His early career focused on tissue engineering and targeted drug delivery, and he has since led the design, development, and commercialization of several labor-saving devices (e.g., Lygus bug vacuum, spray rig, strawberry decapper, heated hole puncher, hoop house disassembler, and Lygus monitor). His recent works focus on the application of machine vision for runner removal and semi/fully autonomous systems for bareroot transplantation. 

Aidan Fischer

FIELD ENGINEER

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 104A

Phone: (805) 451-2278

Email: afischer@calstrawberry.org

Aidan is a Field Engineer at the California Strawberry Commission. He specializes in hydraulic systems, data analysis, farming practices, and project management. His work as a part-time lecturer at Cal Poly helped him discover a passion for teaching and network development.

He earned his M.S. in Agriculture with a specialization in Agricultural Engineering Technology and a B.S. in Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He has industry experience in surveying, industrial engineering, project management for civil and mechanical projects, tractor component design, farming, equipment maintenance, machining, and fabrication. He is committed to giving back to his community and strives to make others feel seen and valued. Outside of work, catch Aidan riding his dirt bike, surfing, hiking, camping, fishing, and cooking. 

Brendan Holt

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 104A

Phone: (805) 586-2274

Email: bholt@calstrawberry.org

Brendan is an Agricultural Engineer for the California Strawberry Commission. Brendan brings a background in computing with experience in computer graphics, software engineering, machine learning, and robotics. He is currently working on the laser runner cutter and operator aid system projects.

Brendan earned his B.S. in Computer Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In his free time, he enjoys practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and hanging out with friends and family.

Kyle Blauer

Field research manager

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 1B

Phone: (805) 441-3509

Email: kblauer@calpoly.edu

Kyle is the Research Manager at the Strawberry Center, where he focuses on strawberry pathogens, particularly Macrophomina phaseolina (charcoal rot) and Botrytis cinerea (gray mold). His role bridges agronomy and plant pathology, combining hands-on fieldwork with trial coordination.

He earned his B.S. in Plant Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2014 and joined the Strawberry Center in 2017. Kyle is passionate about connecting science with practical farming practices, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and mentoring the next generation of agricultural researchers and farmers. Outside of work, Kyle enjoys traveling, beach volleyball and surfing. 

Alison Stevens

Center operations manager

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park) - Ste. 1B

Phone: (805) 756-2150 

Email: asteve17@calpoly.edu

Ali is the Operations Manager at the Strawberry Center. She specializes in financial management, human resources management and business operations. She brings a strong background in organizational support and team coordination. Ali earned her B.S. in Social Sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and later completed a certificate in Human Resources Management from Portland State University.  

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, happy hours, trying new restaurants, hiking, hot springs, and going to the beach with her husband, two daughters, and their giant puppy, Luna. 

Colette Smith 

Center program analyst

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park, Ste. 1B) 

Phone: (805) 756-2123

Email: csmit250@calpoly.edu

Colette is the Center Program Analyst at the Strawberry Center, where she provides financial analysis and leads the development of marketing collateral and communications. She joined the Center in 2021 and brings expertise in communication and administration, drawing on her prior experience in marketing and PR within the beef industry.

Colette holds a B.S. in Agricultural Communications and a Master's of Agricultural Education, both from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, painting and reading.

Joseph Ramirez

Farm supervisor

Office Location: Bldg. 83 (Technology Park, Ste. 1B) 

Phone: (805) 634-6899

Email: jrami233@calpoly.edu

Joseph is the Farm Supervisor at the Strawberry Center, where he is responsible for maintaining the Center’s research fields and supporting student learning through day-to-day fieldwork and mentorship. Originally from Watsonville, Joseph has been around strawberries for as long as he can remember, developing a strong connection to agriculture through years of hands-on experience.

He earned his M.S. in Agriculture with a specialization in Crop Science and a B.S. in Plant Sciences, both from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. As a student, Joseph worked closely with the Strawberry Center and also gained valuable experience pest scouting for a licensed PCA. These roles helped shape his practical knowledge of crop health and field management.