Prof. Mark Robson

e-mail: robson@sebs.rutgers.edu

As Dean of Agricultural and Urban Programs I develop and implement degree and non-degree undergraduate and graduate programs in entrepreneurial and innovative education in the agricultural sciences. The major targets careers in agricultural education and extension, government service, and agribusiness as well as an owner/operator of farming enterprises. Areas of focus include controlled-environment agriculture, agricultural policy and entrepreneurship, energy efficiency, and niche agriculture, including agro-tourism, community-supported agriculture, and sustainable agriculture. This includes a master’s degree in the business and science of agriculture, as well as non-degree certificate programs. Additionally I am responsible for the Office of Continuing and Professional Education, the Agricultural Leadership Program, and the IR-4 Minor Use Pesticide Program.

 

Research interests:

My research focus is on pesticide exposure to farmers and farm families in developing countries, the major platform for this is the NIH FIC Thai International Training and Research in Environmental and Occupational Health grant.

 

Positions of responsibility:

Chair, Professor and Extension Specialist in Plant Biology
Rutgers University-School of Environmental and Biological Sciences http://sebs.rutgers.edu, New Brunswick, New Jersey, since Jan 2015

 

Selected grants, projects, expert’s statement, scientific research:

  • ThaiFogartyITREOHCenterGrant Number: D43 TW007849-01
  • FogartyInternationalCenter- National Institutes of Health – NIEHS Principal Investigator
  • US EPA Methane to Markets Partnership Grant Number XA-83444101-1Activities that Advance Methane Recovery and Use as a Clean Energy Source
  • USEPA – Office of Atmospheric Programs Principal Investigator
  • Project 2921 – Evaluating the Physical and Biological Availability of Pesticides and Contaminants in Agricultural Ecosystems and Project 3081 Agrochemical Impacts on Human and Environmental Health: Mechanisms and Mitigation

 

Selected publications (from last 5 years):

  1. Kenny, LB, Ward, D, Robson, MG, Williams, CA. Technical note: Comparing 4 techniques for estimating desired grass species composition in horse pastures. Anim. Sci. 2018;96 (6):2219-2225. doi:10.1093/jas/sky111. PubMed PMID:29668994
  2. Panuwet, P, Ladva, C, Barr, DB, Prapamontol, T, Meeker, JD, D’Souza, PE, Maldonado, H, Ryan, PB, Robson, MG. Investigation of associations between exposures to pesticides and testosterone levels in Thai farmers. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2018;73 (4):205-218. doi:1080/19338244.2017.1378606. PubMed PMID:28901838
  3. Louis, LM, Lerro, CC, Friesen, MC, Andreotti, G, Koutros, S, Sandler, DP, Blair, A, Robson, MG, Beane Freeman, LE. A prospective study of cancer risk among Agricultural Health Study farm spouses associated with personal use of organochlorine insecticides. Environ Health. 2017;16 (1):95. doi:1186/s12940-017-0298-1. PubMed PMID:28874165 PubMed Central PMC5585902
  4. Nganchamung, T, Robson, MG, Siriwong, W. Association between blood cholinesterase activity, organophosphate pesticide residues on hands, and health effects among chili farmers in Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeastern Thailand. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. ;68 (2):175-183. . PubMedPMID:28646835
  5. Altemose, B, Robson, MG, Kipen, HM, Ohman Strickland, P, Meng, Q, Gong, J, Huang, W, Wang, G, Rich, DQ, Zhu, Tet al.. Association of air pollution sources and aldehydes with biomarkers of blood coagulation, pulmonary inflammation, and systemic oxidative stress. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2017;27 (3):244-250. doi: 1038/jes.2016.38. PubMed PMID:27436693
  6. Naksen, W, Prapamontol, T, Mangklabruks, A, Chantara, S, Thavornyutikarn, P, Robson, MG, Ryan, PB, Barr, DB, Panuwet, P. A single method for detecting 11 organophosphate pesticides in human plasma and breastmilk using GC-FPD. J. Chromatogr. B Analyt. Technol. Biomed. Life Sci. 2016;1025 :92-104. doi:1016/j.jchromb.2016.04.045. PubMed PMID:27232054 PubMed Central PMC4930899
  7. Zhang, C, Hu, R, Shi, G, Jin, Y, Robson, MG, Huang, X. Overuse or underuse? An observation of pesticide use in China. Sci. Total Environ. 2015;538 :1-6. doi:1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.031. PubMed PMID:26296070