Staff

Dr. Anil Shrestha

Interim Director 2022-2023

Office: Ag Sciences 223/ V.E. Petrucci Building room 102
Phone: 559.278.2253
email: ashrestha@csufresno.edu

Brief Introductory Statement:
Dr. Shrestha teaches undergraduate courses in weeds, pesticides, and agroecology; at the graduate level, teaches agroecology and a seminar course. Joined the department in 2008. Primary research area is integrated vegetation management in agricultural and non-agricultural systems. Particular research interest includes weed biology and ecology; crop-weed competition; herbicide-resistance management; environmental aspects of vegetation management; conservation cropping systems; agroecology; IPM; and organic farming. He serves as an academic editor of PLOS ONE, editorial board member of the Journal of Crop Improvement and Journal of Sustainable Agriculture; associate editor of Agricultural and Environmental Letters and is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.

Rebecca White 

Administrative Support Coordinator  

Office: V.E. Petrucci Building room 102
Phone: 559.278.4428
Fax: 559.278.4795
Email: rewhite@csufresno.edu

Brief Introductory Statement:
Rebecca White is the Administrative Support Coordinator for the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC). She assists the Director with the day-to-day administration of the office and research program and works with the faculty, research staff, graduate students and students as the program coordinator on all research projects. In this position, she maintains the budgets; tracks all the accounts, processes purchase orders, payroll, travel and gifts-in-kind for VERC.

Rebecca also works closely with all viticulture and enology administrative staff to fulfill the overall mission of goals for the center and department.

Rebecca joined the viticulture and enology team in January 2019. Before joining the Viticulture and Enology Research Center in January 2019, Rebecca worked on the Fresno State campus.

Emily Wilkins

Instructional Support Technician
Viticulture and Enology Academic and Research Support

Office: Viticulture Annex and Operations building 
Phone: 559.278.2136
Fax: 559.278.4795
Email: ewilkins@csufresno.edu

Brief Introductory Statement:
Emily Wilkins is the Instructional Support Technician for the Viticulture and Enology Research Center where she assists faculty and students with research projects, upholds chemical and laboratory safety measures, and maintains research equipment.  

Prior to her role at Fresno State, Emily worked in the California wine industry on the Central Coast and Central Valley specializing in wine production and laboratory techniques.  She was a part of many innovative practices at commercial wineries including, flotation for clarifying juice, micro-fermentations for smoke taint assessment, and training for sensory faults. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Wine and Viticulture, with a concentration in Enology, from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.   

Tricia Totherow

Library Assistant

Office: V.E. Petrucci Building Room 101 (adjacent to department library)
Phone: 559.278.5388
Fax: 559.278.4795
Email: ttotherow@csufresno.edu
Viticulture & Enology Library Website
Department Library Hours: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday)

Brief Introductory Statement:
Born and raised in the heart of California's Central Valley, Tricia brings to the Viticulture and Enology Library her knowledge and experience achieved via Certification in Library Technology, as well as her many years working with both the Fresno County Public Library and Central Unified School District.

Luz Mendoza

CATI Communications Specialist
Events and Outreach

Office: V.E. Petrucci Building room 112
Phone: 559.278.7135
Fax: 559.278.4795
Email: luzmendoza@csufresno.edu

Brief Introductory Statement:

Luz Mendoza is the communication specialist for the California Agricultural Technology Institute (CATI). She assists with events and outreach for the three centers under the CATI umbrella; Viticulture and Enogloy Research Center (VERC), Center for Irrigation (CIT) and the Instatute for Food and Agriculture (IFA).

Prior to coming to Fresno State, Luz was a high school agriculture teacher. Luz graduated from UC Davis with her Master's in  2013, Single Subject Agriculture Teaching Credential in 2011 and B.S. in International Agricultural Devolvement in 2007.