Bernadine Strik

Bernadine Strik (April 29, 1962 – April 14, 2023) was a Dutch-Canadian-American horticulturist, horticultural researcher, and professor of horticulture.

Early life and education Bernadine Cornelia Strik was born April 29, 1962, in The Hague.

Strik graduated from the University of Victoria with a bachelor's degree in botany in 1983 and from the University of Guelph with a doctoral degree in horticulture in 1987.

Strik's research changed the methods used by blueberry growers in the United States and elsewhere. She also developed methods for growing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries.

In 2007 she was elected a fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and in 2021 a fellow of the International Society for Horticultural Science. She retired in 2021.

Impact According to the US Department of Agriculture, “Her research in blueberry production and nutrient management has had impacts that few have ever matched".

Personal life Strik married fellow horticulturist Neil Bell in 1994. The couple had two daughters. She died of ovarian cancer April 14, 2023, in Corvallis, Oregon.