Vickie Brewster
Agriculturalist, USDA-APHIS-PPQ
Vickie Brewster currently works with the Pest, Pathogen, and Biocontrol Permit (PPBP) Unit in USDA-APHIS-PPQ. She received a Master’s degree in Plant Pathology at South Dakota State University working with the Northern Corn Leaf Blight pathosystem. She started with USDA in the Agricultural Research Service at the Cereal Disease Lab in Minnesota before moving on to the Blueberry and Cranberry Research Station in New Jersey and finally with the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize project in North Carolina before joining the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in San Diego, California. After four years in sunny, southern California she moved back east to APHIS headquarters in Maryland and eventually joined the PPBP unit in 2012. The PPBP evaluates applications and issues permits for a wide range of organisms including not only plant pests/pathogens but also those microorganisms that may have the potential to act as biocontrol agents of plant pests/pathogens. In fiscal year 2022 the PPBP processed over 12,000 applications.