Kathy Demchak has been at Penn State since 1983, and currently works in berry crop research and extension. Recent research has included trials on how different plastic films affect yield and pest complexes on strawberries and raspberries in protected culture, what media types work best for containerized production of strawberries, and why certain strawberry diseases are becoming more problematic and how they may be best managed. Other projects include evaluations of new blueberry cultivars and blueberry mulch and amendment practices. She earned a B.S. in Horticulture from Penn State and an M.S. in Horticulture from Virginia Tech. She lives in a rural area of Centre County with her husband Steve.