UTIA Extension Specialist Receives AAPSE’s Highest Honor
JACKSON, Tenn. – Kim Brown, Extension specialist with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), has been named a Fellow by the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE). She was recognized for the honor during the 2024 national meeting of AAPSE in Laramie, Wyoming in July.
“I want to thank everyone for their support over the years, this Fellowship would not be possible without the many talented teams I have the privilege of working alongside. It takes the collaboration of Extension specialists, county agents, researchers and so many others to develop and share pesticide guidelines with applicators across the country,” says Brown.
Fellows are active members of AAPSE who make significant contributions to pesticide education and to the Association itself. For over 14 years, Brown has hosted hundreds of trainings and consultations for producers, applicators, homeowners, educators, industry representatives and more across the Mid-South to improve awareness of pesticide regulations and safe application practices. She has also served in multiple leadership positions within AAPSE as president, committee chair and member of various boards and workgroups.
Brown says that proper pesticide education is essential for protecting local communities and ecosystems. “Pesticides are an important resource that we rely on every day, oftentimes without even realizing it. As this industry continues to evolve, specialists work year-round to ensure we are maximizing the benefits of these products while preventing unintentional harm to this world we call home.”
In 2023, Brown hosted the national State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group conference, sharing UTIA’s work on pesticide safety with organizations from across the United States. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including the Friend of Ag award from the Louisiana Agricultural Aviation Association.
In 2010, she received her bachelor’s degree in agronomy and soils from Auburn University before attaining her master’s degree in plant, soils and environmental science in 2015 from Louisiana State University. She held pesticide education appointments at both institutions before attaining her current Extension specialist position within the UT Department of Plant Sciences.
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The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.