Wesley Autio

Wes Autio grew up in a rural/tourist part of western Maine and attended the University of Maine for two years. He received his B.S. degree in Horticulture from Virginia Tech and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant & Soil Sciences (Postharvest Pomology) from UMass. In 1985, he joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts. Until recently, he served as the UMass Fruit Program Leader. He regularly interacts with tree-fruit farmers and the many individuals interested in tree fruit in the landscape. His research focuses on apple and peach rootstocks, controlling growth apple trees with mechanical and hormonal approaches, and chemical thinning of peaches. He teaches courses in pruning fruit crops for undergraduates and in statistical analysis for graduate students. Because of his extensive experience with experimental design and statistical analysis, he is involved with number research projects and serves on numerous graduate committees with the sole purpose of providing guidance in design and analysis. From 2012-2021, he served as Director of the newly re-configured Stockbridge School of Agriculture. In that capacity, he successfully led efforts to strengthen the Stockbridge School's educational, research, and outreach programs.