News from UT

Save the Date

September 12 & 13

Students | Industry | Research

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Why ‘BEACON’?

The term ‘BEACON’ comes from the UT Alma Mater: “On a hallowed hill in Tennessee / Like a beacon shining bright / The stately walls of old UT / Rise glorious to the sight.”

Is this a field day?

Not really, no. Our team’s goal was to create a new event that would enhance specific aspects of a field day and other in-person events that we felt were especially rewarding and valuable for everyone involved. Specifically, our goals with BEACON are to:

• Bring members of our industry together with students preparing to embark on their own careers in turfgrass (and related fields) and help fill open positions

• Create a fun opportunity for professional networking and socializing

• Open the door to in-depth and rich discussions about on-going research here at UT

What will the event look like?

DAY 1

We will host a career networking event. The University of Tennessee is proud to have one of the largest pools of undergraduate turfgrass students of any land grant institution in the country. We have also extended invitations for students from several regional colleges to attend and connect with members of the industry.

How will employers participate in Day 1?

• Our goal is that prospective employers will come with open positions and internship opportunities that are available or will soon be available for students.

• The afternoon of Day 1 will resemble a career fair with some twists. In May, employers will be able to select from different registration packages depending on the type of space they wish to have to engage with students.

• We will have student engagement activities on site, but hope employers will bring their own versions of this to the event (putting areas, spin-the-wheel, etc). We will end the day with a reception for employers to play trivia and enjoy refreshments in a fun and relaxed atmosphere with students. The evening will allow flexibility for employers to take students out to dinner at their discretion, or simply enjoy Downtown Knoxville.

DAY 2

On Day 2, we will open the doors to our research farm where we plan to have two research field tours in the morning:

1. The Fairway Expedition (golf tour): Hear the latest in weed science, pathology, turfgrass selection research and more as it pertains to golf course management. A September event allows for timely updates from and interactions with our researchers just prior to EOP.

2. Pitch Perfect (sports tour): Get a behind-thescenes look at the FIFA Pitch Research being conducted in advance of the 2026 World Cup plus other on-going research pertinent to safe and sustainable sports field management.

We will end the event with lunch and refreshments before embarking on a fun fall football weekend here in Knoxville!

A few questions and answers…

When and where can I register?

Registration will become available in May. Links to registration will be distributed via TTA , TGCSA, and via our MailChimp account. You can sign up for updates from our program here:

https://mailchi.mp/9ff48c5faad7/ut-turfgrass

Will pesticide points be offered?

No, not at this event. Our team understands earning points is important which is why we offer the UT Turf Tuesdays series:

https://www.tnturfgrassweeds.org/turftuesday

We are also working with several of our county offices to offer an in-person program series this summer titled Beat the Heat, where pesticide points will be offered as well Memphis, Jackson, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, and Sevierville.

Who can I contact for more information?

Questions can be directed to Dr. Becky Bowling: rgrubbs5@utk.edu