Dr. Greg Armel joins SePRO as VP of research, regulatory & innovation

“It seems like every day we are hearing about new resistant weed species in agriculture, a turf disease problem, insect outbreaks in greenhouses, or invasive weeds and algae destroying our ability to enjoy our water resources,” SePRO President Dr. Tyler Koschnick said. “Greg will be leading a team that is dedicated to developing better technical solutions for our customers.”

Armel will be based at the SePRO Research & Technology Campus in Whitakers, North Carolina. The SRTC is a 410-acre field laboratory housing research, manufacturing, formulation development, analytical chemistry and logistics departments. The campus allows SePRO’s scientists the ability to implement all phases and scales of research and development from laboratory to field trials.

“A robust research, development, and innovation program is vital to helping our customers succeed,” vice president of marketing Sam Barrick said. ‘We can’t wait to announce the future products and services that will help our customers in the aquatics, turf, ornamental, and ag markets. Greg joins us at a time when we have some very exciting technologies in the pipeline.” 

Armel completed his education at Virginia Tech, holding a bachelor of science in forestry and wildlife management, a master of science in vocational and technical education, and doctorate in weed science.

Upon completion of his graduate studies, Armel started his career in the agri-chemical industry. His first role was as a biologist in an herbicide discovery group before transitioning to a role as product development specialist for corn and soybeans. He returned to academia as an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee. In this joint extension and research position, he developed a program to address weed management issues in vegetables, small fruit, tree fruit, ornamental plants, and invasive weeds as they related to non-crop environments, roadsides, and forested areas. He then returned to industry, most recently as a global herbicide development manager and as a weed control expert supporting customers in the forestry, aquatic, and total vegetation management segments.   

Armel has authored or co-authored 48 refereed journal articles, 95 world and individual country patent applications, 20 extension publications, 103 professional meeting abstracts, and six popular press articles.