Dr. Tom Bruulsema named IPNI Vice President, Americas & Research, as Dr. Paul Fixen retires from the International Plant Nutrition Institute

June 26, 2017, Peachtree Corners, GA, USA - Dr. Tom Bruulsema of Guelph, Ontario, Canada has been promoted to Vice President, Americas & Research, with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) effective June 26, 2017.

Dr. Paul Fixen of Brookings, South Dakota, USA, has served as IPNI Senior Vice President Americas & Oceanic Group as well as IPNI Director of Research since the Institute’s establishment in 2007. Dr. Fixen also served IPNI’s predecessor the Potash & Phosphate Institute (PPI) as Senior Vice President with responsibilities as North American Program Coordinator and Director of Research from 1996 to 2007. Paul began his career with PPI in 1989, when he was selected as Northcentral U.S. Director.

“The IPNI Board of Directors has expressed its great appreciation to Dr. Fixen for his outstanding leadership and contributions to the science of nutrient management over the past 28 years,” said Dr. Terry Roberts, President of IPNI. “Paul will be missed, but the knowledge and experience Dr. Bruulsema brings to his new role will ensure a smooth transition for our Institute.”

Prior to Dr. Bruulsema’s appointment to IPNI Vice President, he has served as IPNI Phosphorus Program Director since 2015. Dr. Bruulsema has also served as Northeast Regional Director for the IPNI North America Program since the Institute’s establishment in 2007, which is a position he also held for PPI since 1994.

More about Dr. Tom Bruulsema

A native of Guelph, Ontario, Dr. Bruulsema received his B.Sc. (Agriculture) at the University of Guelph, Ontario, his M.Sc. (Crop Science) at the University of Guelph, and his Ph.D. (Soil Science) at Cornell University, New York. Prior to his work with the Institute, Dr. Bruulsema worked as a research associate at the University of Minnesota (1994) and an agronomist with the Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh (1986-1990). Throughout his 23-year career with the Institute, Dr. Bruulsema has been a respected leader for agronomic research and education programs in North America and beyond. Dr. Bruulsema has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Canadian Society of Agronomy, and is a Certified Crop Adviser.

More about Dr. Paul Fixen

Dr. Fixen grew up in southwestern Minnesota on a crop and livestock farm and served in faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin and South Dakota State University prior to joining the Institute. Throughout his distinguished career, Paul has emphasized the science of nutrient stewardship and how soil fertility and fertilizer use fit into the overall scheme of crop production systems and the environment. Paul has always been at the forefront of global nutrient management research and education. He has authored over 300 articles related to nutrient management including several book chapters, and has developed and taught popular courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dr. Fixen is a Fellow of ASA, SSSA, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation. He has served as Chair of SSSA Div. S-8, as Associate Editor of the Soil Science Society of America Journal, and the 2016 President of ASA. He has served on numerous boards, academic and agency review panels, and industry committees. Examples include the Planning Committee for the 18th World Congress of Soil Science and, for several years, the Science Advisory Committee of the International Nitrogen Initiative. Dr. Fixen has also served on Minnesota and South Dakota Certified Crop Adviser Boards and was the first President of the South Dakota B oard. He has served on the Soil and Plant Analysis Council Board of Directors and on the Editorial Board of the Precision Agriculture Journal. He was a member of the Agronomic Science Foundation Board of Directors from 2011 to 2016 and serves on the ASA Science Policy Committee.


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IPNI Contacts: Dr. Terry Roberts, IPNI President; Phone: 770.447.0335; E-mail: info@ipni.net; or Gavin Sulewski, IPNI Editor; Phone: 770.825.8080; E-mail: gsulewski@ipni.net