Virginia Tech® home

Megan O'Rourke

Associate Professor
  • School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
  • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Synopsis:

Dr. O'Rourke examines the value of biodiversity in agriculture and develops new production strategies to maximize agricultural sustainability.

Description:

Dr. O'Rourke is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering (PECASE). Her interests include ecosystem services, ecological pest management, land-use change, climate change, and links between food systems and human health. She works in SE Asia to develop integrated pest management strategies for vegetables. Domestically, she is working to conserve pollinators on vegetable farms and in pasturelands. She has worked with the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Services as the organization's climate change advisor. She has also worked as a Foreign Service Officer for the United States Agency for International Development in Cambodia on food security and environment programs.