Summer 2021 INAG News

INAG News

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES | INSTITUTE OF APPLIED AGRICULTURE | SUMMER 2021

STILL PROMOTING HANDS-ON LEARNING

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CONTENTS Real-Life Action Learning

3 Growing More than Plants

4 IAA Graduation

6 Outstanding Student

7 Alumni Class Notes

8 Alumni Awards

9 Faculty Accolades

10 Around the ‘Tute

11 Cover: The Community Learning Garden.

Glori Hyman Director Rebecka Jones Graphic Designer

From the Director’s Desk

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n May 22, 2021,Yuan Longping died at the age of 90. He is credited with saving millions of lives, and yet I bet you never heard of him.

In the 1960s, China plunged into a deep famine that caused the deaths of millions of its citizens.

Along came Yuan, a Chinese agronomist. He developed the world’s first high-yield hybrid rice strain, which produced 20% more rice per acre than non-hybrid varieties, feeding an extra 70 million people per year! Hybrid rice has since been grown in dozens of countries in Africa, America, and Asia—providing a vigorous food source and serving as the main grain for half the world’s population.

Do you think Yuan’s mom was proud of him?

I would be—just as I am proud of the work my own children do in agriculture and just as I am proud of the work all of our IAA students and alumni do. Parents should be proud of offspring who help feed people, preserve natural resources, promote outdoor living, and improve quality of life for others. But time and time again, I get comments from those in the general public who are ignorant of the vital role agriculture plays in improving lives and communities. Once at a college fair, I was talking to a high school student when his mother approached the table. Reading the “Institute of Applied Agriculture” banner, she said, “Ew! You don’t want to do that.” She grabbed her son by the hem of his t-shirt and pulled him away from the table, which I guess is better than dragging him away by his ear.

On the other hand, I also hear parents say, “I just want my children to be happy. Isn’t that what we all want?”

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Well, no! I want so much more for my children than to be happy. I want them to be safe, healthy, and educated; I want them to have good friends and meaningful jobs; I want them to be adventurous, open and curious; and I want them to call their mom every week. I want all of the same things for IAA students.

The IAA faculty and staff are like proud parents.

All you have to do is read any issue of INAG News to see how we brag about our students and alumni, and this issue is no different. Meet our newest alumni featured on page 6 and read about the growth in the Community Learning Garden on page 4. While our alumni may not save millions of people from starvation like Yuan did, they feed communities and make the world a beautiful place. We’re proud of their achievements. We want all of our students and alumni to be happy... and so much more.

Okay, I’ll concede on one point. Once you graduate, you don’t have to call us every week—but is once a year too much to ask? We would love to know how you’re doing.

Proudly yours,

Glori D. Hyman

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Real-Life Action Learning for IAA Students By: Glori Hyman

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or over 50 years the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) has touted and practiced its mission of hands-on learning, so when the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) was searching for classes to help assist local governments in solving real-world problems, the IAA was a natural fit. This spring, the IAA completed its fifth PALS project.

PALS is a campus initiative that “harnesses the expertise of UMD faculty and the energy and ingenuity of UMD students to help Maryland communities become more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.” This spring, students in Meredith Epstein’s Topics in Sustainable Agriculture course put their energy and skills into helping Maryland National Capital - Parks and Planning Commission (MNC-PPC) expand beyond providing green spaces for recreation and health into growing and distributing fresh produce for its food-insecure residents.

MNC-PPC oversees Pope Farm in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which primarily functions as a tree nursery for county parks. Last year, the farm donated approximately 4,500 pounds of food to Montgomery Country residents and set a goal of 9,000 pounds for 2021. IAA students were challenged to helping MNC-PPC reach its goal by developing a plan that included: • • • • • •

Analyzing the economic and demographic conditions of Montgomery County Considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food security Planting diverse vegetables and crops that benefit and appeal to diverse cultures Growing foods that are familiar and that people know how to use Providing food that will feed families Planning for harvesting and transporting the produce

At first, the plan seemed textbook-simple for small vegetable gardening. The students planned to maximize yields by planting crops closer together and to make harvesting easier by grouping plant families together.

“The most fun for our group,” says Samantha Berenschot-Bucciero, a Sustainable Agriculture major, “was to think about the recipes people would be making at home, being that they are experiencing their cultures through food.” Using those recipes, the students created a list of the most common ingredients and added them to the crop plan.

Then, students visited the 8,000-square-foot plot during a class field trip. That’s when the real-life learning kicked in and students had to adjust. The farm equipment was much larger than the students realized, so they had to increase the row width. Pope Farm wanted low maintenance crops with minimal labor, so students had to adjust their crop list.

The students reported, “We began to focus more on crops that would contribute more weight toward the goal, rather than variety.

Adjusting our perspective from just a small vegetable garden was also needed in order to allow us to approach the problem in a different way.”

Ultimately, the students created a plan that included a production list of seven crops, strategic placement of crops to get the best yield, a list of persistent insects and diseases for each crop, the projected yield, and a more expansive future crop production list.

Sustainable Agriculture major Ben Schiner explains, “We basically put together a list that gives all the information needed from when to plant them to IPM [Integrated Pest Management] to everything in between. We selected these crops for maximum amount of yield for the least amount of effort.”

IAA’s Senior Lecturer Epstein praised the students for “their beautifully designed crop spreadsheet” that they gave to Pope Farm.

Brian Dahl of MNC-PPC echoed that praise, “the fact that the students put together this framework and reference tool is really big for us because we haven’t put anything on paper yet as we get established. This is an important process and the spreadsheet is great.”

“I just want to keep working with the IAA,” says Kim Fisher, PALS Program Director.“You guys do such a great job. The students are always wonderful and the faculty is great, too.”

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Community Learning Garden

Grows More than Plants

By: Glori Hyman

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ith more than 800 student clubs, fraternities and sororities, and sports at the University of Maryland, students can get involved in any activity that piques their interest from ballroom dancing to working with the University of Maryland Campus Pantry. There’s no question that these clubs help students foster friendships, learn new skills, and gain teamwork and leadership experience while having fun. But many people may not realize that every club needs to have at least one faculty/ staff advisor. That translates into hundreds of UMD faculty and staff who play a role each year in developing student leaders and organizations outside of the classroom.

One outstanding advisor is recognized each year for their contributions to a student organization and campus life beyond their job responsibilities. This year’s winner is Meredith Epstein, Sustainable Agriculture Lecturer at the Institute of Applied Agriculture and advisor for the Community Learning Garden (CLG).

Epstein was nominated for the prestigious Linda Clement Outstanding Advisor Award by Nina Jeffries, a junior Environmental Science and Policy major and treasurer of the CLG. Jeffries says, “Meredith is an outstanding advisor and role model. She encourages students to take on projects that are important to their personal and career development, while simultaneously improving the garden’s ability to be a fun, safe, and effective hands-on learning space.”

In the fall of 2018, Jeffries was a freshman and a new intern for the CLG when she first met Epstein. “One of my duties was to lead garden hours, sometimes directing groups of more than twenty students. This duty was scary at first, and before each hour I would talk to Meredith and she would run me through teaching the lesson and the activities that I should assign. Her encouragement and patience helped me tackle leading these volunteer hours with confidence and gave me a greater sense of what makes a good leader,” Jeffries praises.

In addition to helping students develop leadership skills, Epstein teaches club members and garden volunteers sustainable agricultural practices, and she encourages each member of the leadership team to take on a special project of interest. Students have taken on such projects as researching crop varieties, restoring the tea garden, tending the orchard, and writing grants.

Jeffries says that with Epstein’s guidance she helped tackle the task of writing a water safety plan for the garden, which as an environmental science major enabled her to explore her interests in agriculture. She credits this research experience with helping her

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Pictured above is Jeffries and Smolinski harvesting for the Campus Pantry. land an internship at the Department of Justice and for setting her on a path to pursue agricultural and environmental law.

A decade ago the CLG began with a grant from the Office of Sustainability and served as an outdoor teaching lab for the Institute of Applied Agriculture. In 2013, Epstein took charge of the CLG and began building partnerships, training volunteers, organizing work hours, creating workshops, and leading tours. Student involvement has grown from two volunteers in 2013 to a steady club leadership team of ten, five interns, and over 1,000 volunteers annually. The CLG has become an iconic landmark on campus with its numbered “turtle logo signs” guiding visitors on a garden tour. Its influence stretches across campus by connecting agriculture and food safety and security with classes, clubs, and service projects throughout the community.

Last year, when students were sent home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Epstein—along with IAA alumnus Meg Smolinski of the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden— kept the garden growing, and the CLG donated 100% of its harvest—over 1,200 pounds—to the Campus Pantry. The CLG was the focus of articles in The Diamondback, Facilities Management, Maryland Today, and NBC-4 for its contributions during the pandemic to help alleviate food insecurity within the campus community. In 2021, the CLG continues its mission to feed Terps in need with expanded production of culturally relevant foods for the Pantry.

Recently, Epstein and Smolinski teamed up to secure several grants and awards to make physical, safety, and teaching/learning...

Continued on page 5.

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...improvements to the space. With its new wash station and irrigation system, the garden is pursuing GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, hoping to become the first public garden to earn that distinction, allowing students to gain more experience with food safety practices.

The CLG serves as a living classroom that Epstein has expanded beyond hands-on lessons of growing plants sustainably to experiential lessons that grow leaders, service projects, entrepreneurs, and a strong sense of community.

“Meredith is an outstanding advisor and role model. She encourages students to take on projects that are important to their personal and career development, while simulaneously improving the garden’s ability to be a fun, safe, and effective hands-on learning space.“ Nina Jeffries

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he Institute of Applied Agriculture is partnered on a three-year Professional Development grant from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).Year one (2021) focused on the first-ever Maryland Farm Mentorship Training, while years two and three bring the training to Maine and New York, respectively.

The training helps farm mentors build their capacity as educators - thereby better supporting aspiring, beginning, or first-generation farmers. Another major outcome of the project is the brand-new Mentor Training Toolkit published by the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project (NESFP).

Check it out, along with hundreds of other free resources available online in NESFP’s Apprenticeship Resource Library.

While the University of Maryland team planned to have the training in person, the COVID-19 pandemic led them to pivot to a virtual training via Zoom. The IAA planned hosted the training, led by Senior Lecturer Meredith Epstein, along with University of Maryland Extension and Future Harvest CASA on January 11, 12, and 13, 2021. Training topics included balancing work and education on the farm; effective communication; fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion on the farm; workplace culture; legal considerations; conflict resolution; and emergency planning. An amazing lineup of presenters and panelists included the IAA’s own Tope Fajingbesi and Shala Larson! Going virtual had its benefits - over 100 participants joined from all over the state of Maryland, across the country, and around the world!

This event was based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number ENE20-162-34268.

Pictured above is Epstein at the Community Learning Garden on Good Neighbor Day.

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Congratulations Class of 2021 We applaud all students who have remained resilient as the pandemic stretched into 2021, but in particular we loudly (and proudly) applaud our IAA graduates! Many graduates are continuing their education while others are launching their careers.

Congratulations, graduates!

Spring 2021 Lynn Brooks Nottingham, MD Sustainable Agriculture

Destiny Daley Baltimore, MD Sustainable Agriculture

Ryan Geils North Bethesda, MD Golf Course Management

Ben Schiner

Tyler Johnson

Mount Airy, MD Sustainable Agriculture

Bishopville, MD Golf Course Management

Sean Watson

Mark Rathsack

Bowie, MD Golf Course Management

Mount Airy, MD Ornamental Horticulture

Carolos Villamar

Gabrielle Williams

Potomac, MD Sustainable Agriculture

Potomac, MD Agricultural Business Management

Wade Williams

Philip Pitta

Fall 2020

Kings Park, NY Turfgrass Management

Hailey Clark

Samuel Harrison Arnold, MD Agricultural Business Management

Ga’Nyah Minor Baltimore, MD Agricultural Business Management

Haley Moore St. Leonard, MD Agricultural Business Management

Ryan Ross

Woodstock, MD Ornamental Horticulture

Lothian, MD Agricultural Business Management

Brooke Knauss

Erika Schmidt Elkton, MD Agricultural Business Management

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Pylesville, MD Agricultural Business Management

Davidsonville, MD Agricultural Leadership and Communication

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Lynn Brooks: IAA’s Outstanding Student By: Meredith Epstein

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he always said that “life got in the way” of her original plans, but everything ended up outstanding. Lynn Brooks, this year’s awardee for Outstanding TwoYear Student, graduated with her Certificate in Applied Agriculture in May 2021 after starting the program in the Fall of 1980.

After a full career and raising a family, Brooks returned to College Park to finish what she had started, but with a shift in focus from her original major of Greenhouse Management to Sustainable Agriculture. Her passion for plants and people is boundless, and her maturity and professionalism made her a stellar student.

Brooks is a natural leader inside and outside of the classroom.

She represented the IAA and AGNR in the 2020 Ag Enterprise Challenge, where her team won second place. Even more notably, Brooks took on a remarkable internship experience at the Susan D. Mona Center Urban Farm. There, she built an urban farm from the ground up to serve the Temple Hills community – an area with

high rates of food insecurity and racial health disparities in Prince George’s County.

Brooks led the Mona Center Urban Farm in all respects from 20192020, from construction to planting to harvesting to donations to volunteer leadership. Under her guidance, this brand new initiative grew almost 2,000 pounds of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs that were donated to Catholic Charities’ KitchenWork – a food service job training program that prepares hot meals for free distribution in the community. She describes it as “an amazing, life-altering period for me,” and witnessing the crops go from seed to meal as “sheer magic.” This was not her first foray into fighting food insecurity – Brooks led the IAA’s food drive for the UMD Campus Pantry in 2019.

Post-graduation, Brooks plans to continue supporting her family, including her granddaughter, while continuing to explore her passion for urban agriculture and the concept of “agrihoods” as retirement communities. While she’ll be the first to tell you that her internship helped her realize that farm management is not a sustainable long term occupation for her at this stage in life, there is no doubt that she will continue to be involved in ongoing food production projects that support the underserved.

Scholarship Winners Shields Memorial Scholarship Philip Pitta

Cecil Massie Scholarship Destiny Daley

Edward Bowman Scholarship

Turf Equipment & Supply Company Scholarship Alyssa Chiascione Destiny Daley Ga’Nyah Minor Haley Moore Erika Schmidt

Erika Schmidt

Alumni & Students, OWN A BUSINESS? Let Others Know!

The Institute of Applied Agriculture is so proud of our alumni and students who discover and develop businesses of their own! We have created a webpage on the IAA website to help promote IAA entrepreneurs.

If you want to support and connect with IAA alumni and student businesses or add your business, visit go.umd.edu/business-hub.

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Class Notes SEND US YOUR NEWS! We’d like to hear about your personal and professional life.

SEND MAIL TO:

Institute of Applied Agriculture Jull Hall, Room 2123 4196 Stadium Drive College Park, MD 20742

EMAIL:

iaa-request@umd.edu

WEB:

iaa.umd.edu/points-pride/alumni-spotlight

Jack Colbert, SUSAG 2020, is an Account Executive for the Revenue Operations Team of Clutch.co in Washington, DC. Bryson Spaulding, TURF 2019, is a Construction Materials Tester at Kumar and Associates, Inc. in Davidsonville, MD. Justin (JT) Hipp, AGBUS 2017, is an Account Manager at Patapsco Spring in Halethorpe, MD. Joanna Bell, AGBUS 2017, is a Veterinary Technician at Patuxent Valley Animal Hospital in Laurel, MD. Ian Patrican, GOLF 2016, is the Golf Course Superintendent at Bethesda Country Club, in Bethesda, MD. Brent Waite, GOLF 2014, is Superintendent/GM at Dornick Hill Country Club in southern Oklahoma.

Waite said, “It’s funny. We just started a golf course restoration and the project superintendent with the construction firm is also an IAA grad! John Lytle, GOLF 2009. So we’ve got two IAA grads out in the middle of nowhere 1400 miles away rebuilding a golf course together.”

RJ Crow, TURF 2012, is the Superintendent at La Mirada Golf Course in La Mirada, CA. Brian Kealy, GOLF 2012, is the Golf Service Manager at Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply. He lives in Philadelphia, PA. Justin Patenaude, SPORTS 2012, started his new position at the Maryland SoccerPlex in June after spending 6 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Congratulations to Chris Turner, GOLF 2008, and his wife Ashleigh on the birth of their son Crosby Jack on March 16, 2021.

Dan Ruhlman, EQUINE 2007, is an Area Manager with Ruppert Landscape, White Marsh Branch.

Ryan Howard, TURF 1998, is the Golf Course Superintendent at Links at Perry Cabin in Easton, MD. A BIG SHOUT OUT to John Shields, LAND 1986, and the Shields Family for donating $1,000 in matching funds available to IAA Alumni during the 2021 Giving Day. John inspired the IAA’s best giving day ever!

Gary Morgan, GOLF 1974, retired from the golf industry after over 50 years to spend time with his grandchildren and playing golf.

Catching up with alumni at the Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association Field Day in June. Pictured left to right is Geoff Rinehart, Jared Knopp (Sports Turf ‘16), CJ Lauer (Turf ‘01), and Glori Hyman. Knopp is Assistant Superintendent with the Ravens and Lauer is Director of Operations at The Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore.

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2021 Early Career Alumni & Distinguished Alumni By: Glori Hyman

From Fab Four to Park Super

“The Boxwood Guy”

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n 2015, Brian Hogan was on the podium sporting a gold medal around his neck as a proud member of the Institute of Applied Agriculture’s first-place team at the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Student Challenge Competition in Denver, Colorado. Fast forward to 2019, and Hogan is a Test Proctor for the very competition he won twice as an IAA student. Fast forward two more years, and Hogan is Treasurer of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association and the Park Superintendent for Calvert County Parks and Recreation.

Hogan is the 2021 recipient of the IAA’s Early Career Alumni Award, given to a graduate who has made significant progress in their career and shown outstanding service to the industry.

Since graduating from the IAA, Hogan has rapidly advanced his career in the golf and sports turf management area and promoted professionalism within the industry. After graduating, Hogan became the Assistant Superintendent at Laytonsville Golf Course and then Assistant Superintendent at Argyle Country Club, which led him to the Superintendent’s job. When the Park Superintendent position became available within the Calvert County Parks and Recreation in 2017, Hogan had recently moved to Calvert County, and the opportunity was a natural fit.

He has flourished in his role.

oogle “The Boxwood Guy” and you will come eye to eye with an impressive array of information, all gathered and curated by Institute of Applied Agriculture Alumni Lynn R. Batdorf, the recipient of the IAA’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Batdorf, who graduated from the IAA in 1974 with his certificate in Ornamental Horticulture, says, “This recognition is a culmination of 47 years of post-IAA professional achievements.

Certainly, the IAA established the foundation for me to excel!”

And excel he has! Batdorf has authored three books on boxwood and 73 peer-reviewed articles, worked for 36 years as curator of the National Boxwood Collection at the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC, and served for 37 years as the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Buxus.

Three years after graduating from the IAA, Batdorf began his professional career at the US National Arboretum in 1977 as the Curator of the National Boxwood Collection, a post he held until retiring in 2013. Now a horticultural boxwood consultant, Batdorf helps homeowners and professionals learn how to best care for their boxwood in order to keep these “majestic shrubs” healthy and beautiful.

Years later, Hogan still feels deep pride and connection to the IAA. He and his fellow teammates were dubbed the Fab Four and remain the only IAA team to win first place in the National Turf Bowl competition.

Given all of his travels, research and work experience, one would think Batdorf may not recollect his days as an IAA student, but he does. Batdorf recalls the feeling he had when he walked into Hank Mityga’s classroom for the first time. “He had a 20-footlong black board completely filled with botanical diagrams and terminology that I found intimidating, even overwhelming!”

As he continues to reminisce about Mityga’s classes, Batdorf recalls walking around campus being introduced to hundreds of different trees and shrubs.

Hogan has continued his winning ways and the IAA is proud to name him as the Early Career Award Recipient for 2021.

Congratulations to Lynn R. Batdorf on his long and distinguished career and his many contributions to horticulture.

Hogan credits his IAA education, saying, “I truly believe it’s because of the education I received at the IAA that I have achieved this success in the industry.”

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Faculty Accolades Jo Ellen Barnhart IAA Lecturer, Oral Communication Dr. Jo Ellen Barnhart received The President’s Commission on Disability Issues (PCDI) Faculty Award for 2021.

The PCDI Awards honor outstanding contributions to the promotion of inclusion of disabled people made by members of the University of Maryland (UMD) community. The PCDI Awards recognize achievement in promoting equity and justice for disabled people at the University by creating and implementing of best practices in serving and/or teaching the disabled members of the University community.

Barnhart, who has taught at the IAA since 2014, radiates compassion, empathy, and a driving commitment to inclusion, both in the classroom and in her service work at UMD and beyond. She serves on the PCDI, both as a committee member and as the faculty advisor to the Student Advisory Committee, and she served on the curriculum committee for the Disability Studies minor recently created by the College of Education. Barnhart chairs the IAA’s committee for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect (DEIR). Her contributions serve as a model for IAA faculty to serve our students more equitably.

Eric Dunning IAA Senior Lecturer, Oral Communication Dr. Eric Dunning, who joined the IAA faculty in 2014, was recently promoted to Senior Lecturer. Eric is an active faculty member who serves on committees and contributes to the IAA’s decision-making process. He currently serves as a PTK representative on the University Senate.

Meredith Epstein IAA Senior Lecturer and Advisor, Sustainable Agriculture Meredith Epstein won the University of Maryland’s prestigious Linda Clement Advisor Award for 2021. One outstanding advisor is recognized each year for their contributions to a student organization and campus life beyond their job responsibilities.

Epstein won for her work as advisor for the Community Learning Garden (CLG), which is one of over 800 campus student clubs.

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Amy Fisher IAA Lecturer, Oral Communication Amy Fisher joined the IAA faculty in 2014 and was recently named the IAA’s first Distinguished Lecturer. She will hold this title for the upcoming academic year 2021-2022.

This award recognizes an outstanding IAA faculty member who has demonstrated extraordinary performance in teaching, creative activity, and service to the department. The awards committee commended Fisher’s leadership in ensuring consistency across the many sections of INAG 110 (the IAA’s oral communication course), the teaching support she provides for her colleagues, and her participation in the working group funded by a Provost’s Teaching Innovation Grant to develop an online course shell for virtual instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the committee acknowledged Fisher’s engaging teaching style and effective rapport with students.

Rebecka Jones Student Services Coordinator Rebecka (Becky) Jones, a 2018 IAA alumna, completed her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics in May. She graduated Magna cum laude. Earning this honor indicates that the cumulative GPA is between 3.959 & 3.905!

Thomas Mazzone IAA Lecturer and Advisor, Agricultural Mechanics and Technology Welcome to our newest faculty member.

Mazzone comes to the IAA with 8 years of teaching experience and varied ag experiences that include turfgrass management and dairy cattle caretaking. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UMD with dual majors in Agricultural Science and Technology and Secondary Science Education.

He completed his master’s degree in Agricultural Education and Communication from the University of Florida. Mazzone will be teaching agricultural mechanics and power and machinery and leading IAA students into new agricultural technologies.

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Around the ‘Tute J. Kevin Mathias Retired IAA Lecturer and Advisor, Golf Course and Turfgrass Management The Good Doctor Mathias has been working tirelessly in retirement to raise scholarship funds for all IAA students. You are invited to help support student scholarships by making a donation to the Dr. J. Kevin Mathias Scholarship Fund. The donation process is simple. In just a few minutes, your donation will be on its way to support IAA student scholarships through the Dr. J. Kevin Mathias Scholarship Fund.

To make a donation by credit card, please visit go.umd.edu/dr-mathias-fund. To contribute by check, make payable to University of Maryland College Park Foundation Inc., and in the memo line please write the “Dr. J. Kevin Mathias Scholarship Fund (Account 21-31411), please mail to Office of Gift Acceptance, 4603 Calvert Road, College Park 20740-3421.

At the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association annual field day, Mid-Atlantic STMA donated $1,000 to the Mathias Scholarship Fund. Along with Dr. Kevin Mathias, IAA Director Glori Hyman,Turfgrass Advisor Geoff Rinehart, and seven IAA Alumni were on hand to accept the check, pictured left.

The IAA and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) signed an Articulation agreement awarding college credits for those students completing the Certified Professional Horticulturist pathway in high school. The IAA already has an agreement for students who complete the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education pathways. These agreements provide high school students with academic coursework that allow them to earn credit toward their IAA certificate and assist students in transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education.

Roy S.Walls Jr., Retired IAA Instructor, was awarded an Outstanding Service Citation at the 93rd Annual State FFA Convention.Walls has dedicated 45 years of service to the Maryland FFA as an agricultural educator and FFA Advisor, and State Executive Secretary.

Photo By:Terrie Shank

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