Jason Smith, Ph.D.

Jason Smith
Division/Department
Kinsley School of Engineering, Sciences and Technology
Assistant Professor, Environmental Horticulture
Contact Information

Meet Jason Smith, Ph.D.

  • Ph.D., Entomology and Chemical Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University (2014)
  • B.S., Chemistry, Houghton College (2005)
  • Introduction to Environmental Horticulture
  • Soil Science and Fertility
  • Entomology and Insect Pest Management
  • Fruit and Vegetable Production
  • Greenhouse and Nursery Production
  • Insect pest management in horticultural crops
  • Controlled environment plant production techniques
  • Plant responses to light spectrum (color) and intensity
  • Fulbright Graduate Student Research Award for “Sustainable pest control development and dissemination in Tanzania” (2014-2015)
  • AFRI NIFA Graduate Fellowship for “Investigating chemical interactions among parasitic plants, host plants and insect herbivores: How do parasitic plants (genus Cuscuta) deter their insect enemies?” (2012)
  • Smith, Steiman (2023) Pasture dragging fails to reliably suppress the emergence of horn flies (Haematobia irritans) and face flies (Musca autumnalis) from dung pats in a Mid-Atlantic North American climate. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 37: 37-46.
  • Zekeya, DuBois, Smith, Ramasamy (2022) Field effectiveness of Metarhizium anisopliae and pheromone traps against Phthorimaea absoluta on tomato in Tanzania. Crop Protection 156:0261-2194
  • Smith, Johnson, Mescher, De Moraes (2020) A plant parasite uses light cues to detect differences in host-plant proximity and architecture. Plant, Cell & Environment: 1-9.Smith, Malloga, Njau, Tua, Dubois, Ramasamy (2018) Host range of the invasive pest Tuta absoluta on solanaceous crops and weeds in Tanzania. Florida Entomologist 101: 573-579.
  • Smith, Woldemariam, Mescher, Jander, De Moraes (2016) Glucosinolates from host plants influence growth of the parasitic plant Cuscuta gronovii and its susceptibility to aphid feeding. Plant Physiology 172:181-197.
  • Smith (2024) Introduction to Hydroponic System Design.  New Oxford High School. (New Oxford, PA)
  • Smith (2023) Weevils and other evils: Applied entomology research in Tanzania. York College of PA Seminar Series (York, PA)
  • Smith (2017) Chemical defense hijacking: Risks and rewards of glucosinolate transfer from host plants to parasitic plants in the genus Cuscuta. Dickinson College Rush Hour (Carlisle, PA)
  • Smith (2015) How do ‘vampire plants’ find their victims? Foraging behaviors of parasitic plants in the genus Cuscuta. Dickinson College Seminar Series (Carlisle, PA)
  • YCP Greenhouse Manager
  • Entomological Society of America
  • Pennsylvania Academy of Science