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About Us
Research Ranch Advisory Team

Dr. Francis (Ed) Northam: My plant science background began on my father's dry-land cotton/sorghum/wheat farm in north central Texas. My first professional job was as a Lieutenant with the U.S. Army Military Police at Fort Hood Texas (Oct. 1971 - Aug. 1973). Since then, my career has moved from USDA range conservation work in west Texas to rangeland weed research in Idaho to cropland weed research in Kansas and currently to crop/wildland/urban weed biology in Arizona. Thus, non-native pest plants have been part of my professional life for 35 years. Likewise, my education was also involved with some aspect of plant sciences beginning with a B.S. in Biology from Tarleton State College (1971) in Stephenville, TX, then a Masters in Range Science from Texas Tech (1978) in Lubbock and finishing a PhD. in Plant Science with a weed biology emphasis at the University of Idaho (1995) in Moscow, ID.

Weed infested Arizona habitats have been my laboratory since July 2000. I started my Arizona experience as Noxious Weed Program Coordinator with AZ Dept. of Agric. until Dec. 2003. My present work with University of Arizona Cooperative Extension - Maricopa County involves coordinating/facilitating Central Arizona Weed Management Area activities and working with non-native weed encroachment problems along the urban/wildland/agriculture interface in Maricopa and northern Pinal Counties (Phoenix metroplex).