Meet the editor
Chris Endacott BSc, MSc, DIC, PhD
Chris’s academic life began studying Applied Biology at Salford University, chosen because it was one of only two Biology courses in the country that included periods working in industry (the other was at Bath which was much too close to home in the West Country). Placements included a time with ICI Plant Protection at Jealott’s Hill (now Syngenta) working on primary screen and field trials of a new acaricide in the UK and Spain, as well as work testing a new pesticide application method (which would reappear two years later). This was followed up by a period at CIBA-Geigy’s field trials centre at Whittlesford near Cambridge assisting with field trials around the UK (the site became part of Novartis and is now closed).
With his interest in pest control kindled the next step was an MSc in Applied Entomology at Imperial College, Silwood Park field station. Following on from the MSc Chris was lucky enough to be offered the chance to study for a PhD funded from both ICI Plant Protection, Micron Sprayers and SERC looking at the impact of a novel electrostatic spraying system known as the “Electrodyn” on beneficial non-target organisms. Much of the research used facilities at Jealott’s Hill as well as those at IPARC, Silwood Park. The work was carried out under the supervision of Prof Graham Matthews. Chris was then lured away from research to join a new magazine “Crops” being started by the owners of “Farmers Weekly” – the Reed Elsevier group. After rising to Deputy Editor and winning awards for his writing Chris was asked to assist with the roll out of desktop publishing across the business group having been very active in its early introduction on Crops magazine.
From Elsevier Chris moved on to the environmental consultancy Aspinwall which involved a move from London to Shrewsbury and in 2001, when Aspinwall was acquired by venture capitalists, Chris left with a colleague to setup a sustainable transport consultancy focussed on measuring and reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) and toxic emissions of transport. While a long way from pesticide application the scientific rigour needed to accurately determine emissions has proved a great value in this venture and Chris now lectures on the subject as well as running a well-regarded training course for other GHG and energy professionals. The chance to edit International Pest Control was a chance to return to his roots, connect again with Prof. Matthews and draw together many of the skills collected during his career as well as expose the gaps in his knowledge to the wider world.
