Appointed August 2012, Dr. Moses T. Kairo is dean and professor in the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). As dean, he is responsible for administering 17 academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels as well as Carnegie classified R2 research, including the UMES Agricultural Experiment Station and UMES Extension programs.
Prior to joining UMES, Dr. Kairo held leadership roles within the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Florida A&M University from 2005 to 2012. During his seven-year stint, he served as a professor of entomology, associate research director for the 1890 Land-Grant Program and director of the Center for Excellence in Biological Control, which is a cooperative initiative between FAMU, the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Dr. Kairo started his career in 1985 with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute before joining what is now known as CABI, an intergovernmental development organization with headquarters in the United Kingdom, in 1991. At CABI, he worked in various capacities, starting as an entomologist and culminating with leadership of the organization’s activities in the Latin America and Caribbean Region until 2005. In 2003, two years prior to leaving CABI, Dr. Kairo was appointed as courtesy associate professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida. The appointment remains active.
Over the years, Dr. Kairo has conducted research in many countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. His research interests are focused on biological control, invasive species management and crop protection. In addition, he has undertaken consultancy work with several international agencies, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Dr. Kairo has secured many grants and has published his results widely. As an organizer and presenter, he has been involved in numerous national and international scientific conferences. For the land-grant community, he continues to serve through various committees under the direction of the Board of Agriculture Assembly of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
Dr. Kairo received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in entomology from the University of London, a Master of Science degree in applied entomology from Imperial College London, and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Nairobi.
