Author: Zidack, Heather

PSLA Social Media Launch!

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The Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture has launched their social media accounts this fall! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

We want to make sure we're representing our program comprehensively.  This provides a great opportunity for students, clubs, faculty and staff to share opportunities, highlights, and events within PSLA with a greater audience and we want your help to make that happen!

As you are sharing posts on instagram this semester, we want to invite you to use the “Collaborator” function to help spread the word about some great things happening in our department! Instructions on how to use this feature can be found at (https://help.instagram.com/5861247717337470/?cms_platform=android-app&helpref=platform_switcher).

If social media isn't your thing, send pictures, news and events to us at psla@uconn.edu and let us post your content for you!!

 

Like & Follow Us!

9/22: Field Trip to Coventry Farmers Market

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Field Trip to Coventry Farmers Market

FREE for all interested students

Sunday, September 22, 2024
10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Come join students in PSLA’s organic vegetable production course as we go on a pleasant and relaxing visit to one of the best Farmers Markets in all of New England.

Transportation provided:

Pick-up (10:30) and drop-off (12:30) from the gazebo behind W.B. Young Building

Questions?

Contact Dr. Gerry Berkowitz at Gerald.berkowitz@uconn.edu or 860-486-1945.

Please email if you would like to attend as soon as is convenient or at the latest 9/19 to be sure you’ll have a seat in our vans.

About

Transportation provided: Pick-up from the parking lot behind W.B. Young building at 10:30, you can stroll through the lines of vendors on your own, with friends, or with students in the veggie course.

Local cheese, wool yarn making, and more. Interested in local agriculture and organic food? Then this might be the trip for you! All students invited – bring a friend! Local food, live music, and no cost! See and taste everything from local veggies to honey making, natural dyes, local cheese, wool yarn making, and more.

Come join students in Dr. Gerry Berkowitz’s organic vegetable production course as we go on a pleasant and relaxing visit to one of the best Farmers Markets in all of New England. The Coventry Farmers Market won an award as ‘best farmers market’ in New England several years ago. Talk to local growers, learn how cheese, wine, and fresh pasta are prepared, and purchase some goodies to bring home, including a bountiful range of fresh vegetables and unique prepared foods.

This Farmers Market has been cited as “One of the top ten things to do in New England this weekend” by The Boston Globe, “America’s Most Celebrated Farmers’ Market” by American Farmland Trust, “New England’s BEST Farmers’ Market” by Yankee Magazine AND selected as one of USA Today’s “Top 10 great places to shop at a farmers market!”

The market is held at the Nathan Hale Homestead, 2299 South Street, Coventry, Connecticut.

Coventry Farmers Market Field Trip Flyer

Faculty Position Opening

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The Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture has an opening for an Assistant or Associate Extension Professor of Soil Science and Director of the Future UConn Plant and Soil Health Center.

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Assistant or Associate Extension Professor of Soil Science and Director of the Future UConn Plant and Soil Health Center

Description

The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, a part of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, at the University of Connecticut is pleased to invite applications for a full-time, 11-month, non-tenure, Assistant or Associate Extension Professor. This position will oversee operations in the existing UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. The anticipated division of duties for this role will be 70% Extension, 10% Administrative, 10% Teaching, and 10% Research. This position is anticipated to start December 1, 2024, with preference to applicants who apply by 8/31/2024. This position will be based in the Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory, located on the UConn Storrs Depot Campus in Storrs, CT.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Participation in the USDA’s federal working group – Northeast Coordinating Committee on Soil Testing (NECC-2312).
  • Coordination of the CT Master Composter Program
  • Soil Training for CT Master Gardener Program
  • Participation in the soils section of the Natural Resources Conservation Academy with NRCS soil scientists.
  • Updating and maintaining the Plant and Soil Health Center website
  • Contributing to, and ensuring the timely distribution of, the monthly PSHC newsletter
  • Writing/reviewing fact sheets pertinent to stakeholder interest
  • Coordinating Extension programming such as seminars, workshops, podcasts, and events
  • Coordinating PSHC representation at various events including the CT Flower & Garden Show, FFA Career Development Events, The Big E, Connecticut Nursery and Landscapers Association Meetings, etc.
  • Preparing annual reports of activities and surveys as well as employee evaluations
  • Develop a strategic plan for the new Plant and Soil Health Center, including key performance indicators, and annual reports for the Center.
  • Provide feedback and guidance directly to inquiries and respond to clients.

    Minium Qualifications

    • Earned doctoral degree in soil science, soil chemistry, plant science, agricultural engineering, Doctor of Plant Medicine/Doctor of Plant Health degree, or closely related disciplines.
    • For the Assistant Extension Professor title, at least three years of relevant experience is required.
    • For the Associate Extension Professor title, at least five years of experience as an Assistant Extension Professor or the equivalent is required.
    • Three to five years of public, private, or academic experience operating or directing a soil, plant analysis, or environmental analysis laboratory.
    • Proven communication skills, including writing and presentation skills as evidenced in the applicant’s curriculum vitae.
    • Understand, develop, and implement laboratory standard operating procedures, protocols, safety guidelines, chemical hygiene plans, and operational workflows and pipelines, such as analytical instruments.
    • Computer literacy, including working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite. MS Access is used as the SNAL laboratory information management system (LIMS), with support from Agstar programmers. Knowledge of alternate LIMS may be considered.
    • Experience serving in supervisory and leadership positions, particularly within an academic or service center context.
    • Experience with budgets, spending plans, and fiscal management for a laboratory, academic setting, or service center.

      Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a successful candidate is selected. Apply Now!

      All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at  http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp

      Apply

      Guest Speaker February 26th

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      If you are interested in working for USDA agencies, such as ARS and NRCS as a soil scientist, and would like to learn their requirements and job application processes and tips, please join the on-line Q&A event. We have invited USDA-ARS soil scientist Dr. Curtis Ransom and USDA-ARS hiring manger Melinda Nunnally to discuss tips and processes to prepare yourself to become a USDA soil scientist or certified soil scientist and answer questions you may have. The event is at 3:00-4:00PM next Monday, Feb. 26th.

      Please RSVP by Friday, Feb. 23 at https://uconn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZ4BcSWo2OAqh9Q.

      The WebEx link will be sent to you after your RSVP.

      EPA Worker Protection Standard Training

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      Travis Clark will be offering a training for the EPA Worker Protection Standard training for Plant Science employees that couldn’t attend the first session at YOUNG RM 122 on Thursday, February 22nd from 10:30am-11:30am.  This one-hour training session is federally mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency concerning working with and around pesticides.

      What is the EPA Worker Protection Standard?

      As of January 1, 1995, the EPA Worker Protection Standard requires workers and pesticide handlers to be trained in the hazards, precautions (posted signs, protective equipment, etc.), personal cleanup, and other safety items associated with applying pesticides or working with pesticide contaminated plants, soils, etc.

      Who falls into this category? 

      Any full or part time faculty, staff, or student employee who comes into contact with pesticides in the “production” of agricultural plants on a farm, forest, orchard, nursery, or greenhouse.  (Anyone who works in one of our greenhouses or farms at any level).

      Beginning January 2017, this EPA mandated training must be updated annually.

      Check the UConn EH&S website to verify when you were last trained for the WPS.

      Research uses of pesticides are not exempt.

      ***If you need this training and cannot make it this Thursday, please email travis.clark@uconn.edu and we can set up a time to meet.**

      PSLA Administrative Office Closed 12/25/23 – 1/1/24

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      The PSLA Administrative Office will be closed from Monday December 25th, 2023 through January 1st, 2024 for the holiday break. Limited staff will be working remotely on Dec 27-29 and the PSLA mailbox will be monitored, during that time. We will return to the office on January 2nd, 2024. Please plan accordingly.

      We hope you have a peaceful and safe holiday season!

       

       

       

      PSLA Winter Celebration 2023

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      The Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture came together on December 14th for an Ugly Sweater, Chilli Cook off and Yankee Swap to celebrate the end of the semester and the winter holidays. Students, faculty and staff came together for some fantastic food and friendly competition! Roy Davis and Nick Goltz led the organization of this event and Chris Strand & Chloe Bilodeau assisted the committee with setup in the LA Studio Room.

      Congratulations to our Contest Winners:

      Chili Categories:
      • Best Vegetarian Chili – Nick Goltz
      • Spiciest Chili – Sydney Everhart
      • Most Unique Chili – Chase Crowell
      • People’s Choice 3rd Place – Nora Doonan
      • People’s Choice 2nd Place – Nick Goltz
      • People’s Choice 1st Place – Chris Strand
      Ugly Sweater Categories:
      • Ugliest Sweater – Chris Strand
      • Fan Favorite Ugly Sweater – Sohyun Park & Roy Davis

       

      Thank you to all who came out and brought food, gifts, and their festive spirit to this event!

       

      End of Semester Newsletter, Fall 2023

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      PSLA DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER

      FALL 2023

       

      PSLA Cover Image

      Reflections on Fall 2023

      This is an exciting time to belong to the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture.  We are a diverse group of individuals that all do, as one undergraduate called it, "plant stuff."  Whether that includes tending to plants in a greenhouse, creating an in-depth design of a coastal community, standing at the front of a room to teach about integrated pest management, pulling soil cores for analysis, or processing orders for lab equipment and supplies, we all do "plant stuff".  Though individually, you may not feel that your plant stuff has impact, I want to remind you that the green industry is the economic engine of Connecticut, and all plant products combined represent 72% of the state’s ag economy.  What you do is significant and I argue that our department is the number one most important within the entire university.

      To show you, we have assembled a collection of stories and highlights in this semester’s issue of our department newsletter.  This includes stories from our past that have recently re-emerged, like our 100-year old orange tree, the history and future of the PSLA orchards, and the previously abandoned observatory rejuvenated at the research farm.  You will also see that we are growing our department with several new hires, and have had many newsworthy events and awards among our students, faculty, and staff.  I think all of you will find something to relate to in this issue.  If you have a story to share, please let us know!  We would be happy to feature it in a future issue.

      Sincerely,
      Sydney Everhart

      Sydney Everhart Signature

      UConn Plant Science & Landscape Architecture in the Media

      Planting Wildflowers along I-91 in Holyoke

      The PSLA Department participates in a pilot program to help plant natives and wildflowers along highways to benefit the environment.

      Urban Planning Maps

       Doctoral researcher Pan Zhang and Assistant Professor Sohyun Park, have created a framework to help cities evaluate vacant lots and prioritize how they can have the biggest impact for the community.

      Saturated lawn

      Nick Goltz provided guidance for gardeners dealing with flooding on their property after this summer's record rainfall.

      Students & Staff pose with the Orange Tree in its new location.

      Students & Staff took on the monumental task of moving and repotting an Orange tree that dates back over 100 years to UConn's early history.

      Reestablishing UConn's Fruit Orchards

      UConn has had fruit production orchards in the past. Now, Evan Lentz is taking the opportunity to reestablish that that rich history.

      UConn Observaotory comes back to life

      The research farm staff helped to clear the overgrown areas around the forgotten observatory for it's reopening.

      USDA Updated Plant Hardiness Zones

      USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023

      USDA Updates Hardiness Zone Map

      In November, the USDA updated the Hardness Zone map for the first time since 2012. Here in Connecticut, this caused a shift in zones across the state.

      Read the Official Press Release

      Clubs & Activities

      Fall Ice Cream Social – September 14th, 2023

       

      PSLA Seminar Series

       

      Thank you to all who participated in our fall seminar series!

      Keep an eye out for seminar dates and topics for Spring 2024.

       

       

      Hosts:
      Sohyun Park, Haiying Tao, Huanzhong Wang & Julia Smachylo

      Speakers:
      Dr. Anuja Bharadwaj, Donald Parizek, Quan Zeng, Melissa Naranjo Barrientos, Sonia Sobrino Ralston, Dr. Karolina Heyduk, Dr. Mark Brand, Dr. Baikun Li, Dr. Mayra Rodriguez Gonzalez, Samantha Solano & Dr. Raquel Rocha

       

       

       

       

      UConn Horticulture Club

      Veronika Verbitsky, William Hawes, Connor Grace, Cullen McDermott, Olivia Delello, Will Carter, Garrett Brochard, Amanda Zheng, and Lauren Peronace helped to plant a Dawn Redwood tree.
      Veronika Verbitsky, William Hawes, Connor Grace, Cullen McDermott, Olivia Delello, Will Carter, Garrett Brochard, Amanda Zheng, and Lauren Peronace helped to plant a Dawn Redwood tree this semester to start an annual tree-planting tradition for the club.

      Fall Activities: 

      • The Hort Club held their annual Chrysanthemum sale this semester, selling the plants to customers in the Floriculture building as well as outside the Dairy Bar.
      • They organized a dorm plant sale in Wilbur Cross in October, where we had a table outside Crossroads Cafe. The plants sold were ones grown in the club's greenhouse in Floriculture.
      • To wrap up the semester, they sold poinsettias and rosemary plants in December.

      Spring 2024:

      • The Horticulture Club will be attending the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show (2/22/24 - 2/25/24). At this event they will be selling plants grown on campus and building a landscape design using plants donated from local CT nurseries.

       

      UConn Beekeeping Club

      Fall Activities:

      • This semester the club has gone on weekly hive visits to provide care to 2 hives at Spring Valley Student Farm. They also spent time at the hives learning about pest management, hive care, and how to be a successful beekeeper throughout the seasons.
      • Meetings on campus were education-focused on hive structure and native bees, as well as club bonding activities - movie nights and screenprinting club t-shirts!

      Spring 2024:

      • Hive openings will occur in the spring, dates TBD due to weather dependency but keep an eye on our instagram @uconnbeekeepingclub for updates! We will be opening our current 2 hives and integrating 4 new hives onto the farm!

       

      The club would like to give a shoutout to Jessica Larkin-Wells for her continued support for Beekeeping Club at Spring Valley Student Farm!
      Thank You Bee

      Insulating hives for winter
      Five beekeepers insulating our hives for this winter.

      Club members learning to screen tshirts
      Members of UConn Beekeeping Club learning how to screen print their very own club logo shirt to show their beekeeper pride!


      Worker bees building beeswax
      Hive 2's worker bees building fresh beeswax comb onto a hive frame.

      Beekeeping Club with Christie Family on Family Weekend
      The Christie family visiting hives for an educational outreach program during Family Weekend!

       

      American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) UConn Student Chapter

      Students participate in Park(ing) Day 2023  Students participate in Park(ing) Day 2023


      Students participate in Park(ing) Day 2023  Students participate in Park(ing) Day 2023

      Park(Ing) Day 2023

      The UConn ASLA chapter participated in Park(ing) Day- this year's theme was pollinators! Park(ing) Day is a global, community-driven project to temporarily repurpose parking spaces into mini parks and public spaces, to advocate for safer, greener, more equitable streets.

       

       

       

       

      ASLA Conference

      Dr. Sohyun Park and Jill Desimini attended the 2023 ASLA Conference in Minneapolis in late October where Sohyun was recognized for her National Competitive Research Grant and participated on the jury panel for Professional Awards in the Research Category. Jill met with other program administrators and they both attended the LABash Block Party where they met program alumni and CTASLA friends Moises Andrani, Bill Kenny, Cynthia Reynolds, Ellen Fallon-Senechal, Rachel Meier and Tom Tavella. The group chatted and ate cake with Scott Bishop, Naomi Sachs, Melody Stein, Davi Parente Schoen and many other landscape architecture colleagues, friends, and students, including some fellow huskies from the University of Washington.

      More PSLA Sponsored Clubs at UConn

      Turf Club

      Turf Club

      EcoGarden Club

      Ecogarden Club

      Cannabis Club

      Cannabis Club

      PSLA Department Hosts FFA Nursery Landscape & Floriculture Career Development Events

      On November 17th, over 300 Students from all over the state were on the UConn Campus participating in Career Development Events for the Connecticut FFA. Of those students, 96 high school students  came together to compete in various events in Nursery Landscape & Floriculture. Dr. Nick Goltz coordinated the needs of the CT FFA for these two sections. Students competed in general knowledge events, practical exercises, and team based activities against other chapters  for a chance to compete at the national level!

      Special Thanks to:

      • Laurel Humphrey who helped to curate, print and organize test material for students
      • Nick Pettit, Shelley Durocher, Madison Sajkowicz, Travis Clark, Drew Hoagland, Hayden Amtower who assisted with setup and preparation of materials in the Ratcliffe Hicks Arena
      • Heather Zidack, who processed flowers for the event
      • Prides Corner who donated live plant material for students to identify as an element of their competition

      CAHNR/RHSA Scholars Ceremony & Brunch

      Saturday December 2, 2023, 11:00 AM
      Hartford Mariott Downtown

      Congratulations to all of our students recognized!

      Graduate Students Undergraduates Undergraduates (Continued)
      Zahra Ali
      Maussi Arrunategui
      Bivek Bhusal
      John Campanelli
      Samuel Haiden
      Lauren Kurtz
      Hengsong Li
      Sergio Gabriel Peralta
      Gaurav Thapa Chhetri
      		 Matthew Antunes
      Gregory Baker
      Samuel Bushka
      Sophia Carlson
      Joseph Caron
      William Carter
      Darren Cole
      Atlas Collazo
      Ryenne Davis
      Ana DiMauro
      Izabella Dyer
      Michael Fenton
      Quinn Green
      Shynaijah Hall
      Elisabeth Helmin
      Sean-Patrick Houssan
      Taghreed Hussein
      		 Sydnie Jacobsen
      Eveleen Jiang
      Nicole Molloy
      Mark Nelson
      Kathryn (Wren) Padua
      Gisselle Pluas-Saenz
      Brendan Pugmire
      Ej Ramirez
      Kyle Robin
      Matt Schillberg
      Helen Schott
      Rebecca Syme
      Joshua Teuber
      Neil Tighe
      Mia Tunucci
      Laura Urban
      Abigail Varga
      Evan White
      Diana Young

       

      PSLA People

      New Faces In The Department Welcome!

      Faculty & Staff

      Anuja Bharadwaj Gratis Faculty
      Anuja Bharadwaj  Gratis Faculty

      Mia Maltz Assistant Professor
      Mia Maltz          Assistant Professor

      Melissa Naranjo Barrientos Adjunct Professor
      Melissa Naranjo Barrientos        Adjunct Professor

      Chloe Bilodeau Educational Assistant II
      Chloe Bilodeau Educational Assistant II

      		 Heather Zidack Educational Assistant I Heather Zidack
      Educational Assistant I

      Postdocs

      Bashir Tiamiyu
      Bashir Tiamiyu  Mentor: Sydney Everhart

      Graduate Students

      Student Name Program Advisor
      Julie-Ann Adorno MS Haiying Tao
      Cleopatra Babor MS Yi Li
      Victoria Burton MS Mark Brand
      Brian Garzon MS Mariana Alfonso
      Amelia Martin MS Sydney Everhart
      Michelle Mcdonald MS Jessica Lubell
      Monique Michaud MS Huijie Gan
      Abdalla Mohammed PhD Sydney Everhart
      Flavia Pereria de Souza Visiting PhD Haiying Tao
      Abigail Ward MS Haiying Tao

      ConGRADulations!

      The following grad students presented their defense of research at the end of the Fall 2023 semester. Congratulations on all of their hard work!

      PhD Defenses Masters Defenses
      Pan Zhang 
      Urban Morphology and Social-Ecological Connectivity in South New England Metropolitan Areas      		 Jackie Edgett
      Moving towards sustainable horticulture: Evaluating native ornamental plants and non-native ornamental plants with a reduced invasive potential 
      Tracey Miller
      A resources-sensitive approach to a complex problem: Riparian sustainability for Connecticut’s towns and watersheds
      		  
      Lauren Kurtz
      Production enhancement through polyploid breeding and micropropagation of Cannabis sativa
      		  

      What's In A Name?

      The Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture has been doing research to understand the perceptions and feelings of our students, staff, and faculty in regards to the naming of our Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems Major. 

      Survey gif

      Haven't Taken the Survey Yet? 


      Please do not participate in this survey if you are not currently an SPSS major.

      Coming Soon...

      Winter Celebration Flyer

      The PSLA Winter Celebration

      Come in your ugliest sweater and bring a chilli to compete in the Chilli Cockoff and a wrapped gift for the Yankee Swap gift exchange!

      Other potluck dishes, drinks, dessertsare also welcome!

      Date: December 14th, 2023Time: 12:30 - 2:30 PM
      Location: LA Studio Room - Young 101

      Registration Form

      Food Sign Up

      Looking Ahead

      calendar gif

       December 26th – January   12th   Winter Term 
       January 9th   CT Vegetable and Small Fruit Conference
       January 16th   Spring Semester begins 
       January 24th & 25th  CNLA Winter Symposium
       February 22nd - 25th   Connecticut Flower and Garden Show
      March 3rd - March 6th  LA Program Review
       March 10th – March 16th  Spring Recess 
       March 18th     Registration for Fall 2024 Begins 
       April 26th   Last day of Spring Semester Courses 
       April 29th – May 4th   Final Exams 
       May 4th 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM   CAHNR/RHSA Commencement Ceremony
      May 8th 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM  Faculty Retreat

      Spring 2024 Course Information

      We've updated our resources for students and advisors for Spring 2024 course offerings. Find descriptions, scheduling, enrollment data, and other details in real time.

      Keep an eye out for our flyers across campus!

      Wishing All a Very Happy Holidays
      & Good Luck on Exams! 

       

       

      Keep in Touch!

      Students, Faculty & Staff: 
      If you have anything that you would like to see shared in our next newsletter, feedback is welcome! Please email photos, news articles, recognitions and other relevant information to psla@uconn.edu

      Clubs:
      Be on the lookout for a spring semester survey! Or, send photos and event descriptions as they come to psla@uconn.edu

      Faculty:
      Do you have some exciting labs or hands on activities coming up in your courses over the next semester? We'd love to get some pictures of them for you! Please contact heather.zidack@uconn.edu or jason.sheldon@uconn.edu to let us know about upcoming photo opportunities!

      Alumni:
      Thank you for your continued support of our programs in the Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture. We want to know what you're up to, too! Send us information about career milestones, awards and recognitions and updates as well! Contact us at psla@uconn.edu

      The Young Building, UConn Storrs Campus