WV Farm Bureau Magazine August 2013 | Page 14

Meet WVU Extension Service’s new consumer horticulture specialist I “ am drawn to individuals having a genuine interest and desire to learn,” says Mirjana (Mira) Bulatovic-Danilovich, West Virginia University Extension Service’s new consumer horticulture specialist. She herself never stops learning. After nearly 40 years of experience in the field, Danilovich has seen trends in consumer horticulture come and go. As any good gardener knows, it takes passion and dedication to remain current on these trends. Mirjana (Mira) Bulatovic-Danilovich As an Extension educator, Danilovich strongly believes in providing a resource to the community; therefore, she plans to develop a network of support within the community consisting of WVU Extension specialists, Extension Master Gardener leaders, faculty, and members of the local consumer horticulture industry. Having a large network of resources is crucial to providing sufficient educational outreach to the community. Danilovich refuses to let any question go unanswered. As questions arise, she promises to respond with a thorough answer or a referral to someone who can assist the person making the inquiry. Because she works with consumers, the questions she most often receives are related to disease and insects. Given Danilovich’s extensive background as a landscape and commercial fruit production analyst and adviser, she has experience dealing with various types of pest management techniques and solutions to pest problems. iv / Summer 2013 Understanding the significant role collaborative effort plays in an educational outreach program, Danilovich looks to build upon these resources. A particular area of interest for Danilovich is the Extension Master Gardener program. Before coming to WVU, she served as the district Extension educator at Michigan State University, where she revitalized the area’s Master Gardener program by teaching courses and holding demonstrations that brought together individuals with a genuine interest and desire to learn. As the new consumer horticulture specialist at W VU, she looks forward to building upon WVU Extension Service’s already-strong Extension Master Gardener program and hopes to expand the Extension Junior Master Gardener program to recruit the younger generation. “I am drawn to individuals with a genuine interest and desire to learn.” Mirjana (Mira) Bulatovic-Danilovich, WVU Extension Service’s new Consumer Horticulture Specialist A native of modern-day Serbia, Danilovich received her Ph.D. in pomology from University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and an M.S. in pomology from University of Belgrade, Serbia. Mira Bulatovic-Danilovich can be reached at P.O. Box 6108, 2088 Agricultural Sciences Building, phone: 304-293-2620 or [email protected]. By Lindsay Wiles, W VU Extension Service, Editor and Publications Specialist WVU Update The West Virginia University Extension Service and the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design are pleased to offer this educational insert to the Farm Bureau NEWS as a service to West Virginians. Check our websites for more news (www.ext.wvu.edu and www.davis. wvu.edu). Lindsay Wiles, Editor Greg Jacobs, Graphic Designer Meg Baughman, Creative Director Editorial Planning Committee: Louise Donato, Joan Harman, Lewis Jett, John Murray, Kevin Shaffer, Ben Spong, David Welsh, and Jennifer Williams Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia University Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, and marital or family status. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Director, Cooperative Extension Service, West Virginia University. Trade or brand names used in this publication are for educational purposes only. The use of such product names does not imply endorsement by the WVU Extension Service to the exclusion of other products that may be equally suitable. West Virginia University is governed by the West Virginia University Board of Governors and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Masthead Photo Credit: www.flickr.com Insert Provided by WVU Extension Service and Davis College of Ag., Natural Resources, and Design 14 West Virginia Farm Bureau News