The Department of Horticultural Science is pleased to announce Dr. Neil Mattson, Professor in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, as the recipient of the 2026 Department of Horticultural Science Alumni Award! Dr. Neil Mattson has made outstanding contributions to greenhouse efficiency and performance, especially in energy reduction through lighting.
A Minnesota native, Mattson started his higher education journey with undergraduate degrees in Biology and Computer Science from the University of Minnesota Morris. Mattson then received his Master’s in Applied Horticulture here at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2002. Mattson then went on to complete his PhD in Plant Biology from the University of California Davis.
Neil joined Cornell in 2007. His current position is 50% research, 30% extension, and 20% teaching and he serves as a statewide greenhouse specialist! Mattson also serves as the director of Cornell’s Controlled Environment Agriculture program and principal investigator of the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE), a public-private consortium that de-risks adoption of energy efficient greenhouse technologies.
Mattson’s research is focused on optimizing performance and resource use efficiency while increasing the profitability of vegetables, small fruits, and floriculture crops in protected environments. Specific research interests include strategies to reduce energy use in lighting through LED adoption and intelligent light controls, sustainable fertilization practices, and development of new CEA crops.
Mattson has authored/co-authored 82 journal articles, 31 refereed book chapters and conference proceedings, and has presented 38 invited academic seminars. Mattson maintains direct relationships with CEA producers and allied trade across the U.S. Translating research into industry accessible bulletins and presentations is an important programmatic strength.
The Department of Horticultural Science is delighted to invite you to celebrate Dr. Neil Mattson’s achievements and hear from him directly at the 2026 Kermit Olson Memorial Lecture, where he will present a seminar titled, “Plants, People, and Progress: 25 Years in Controlled Environment Agriculture”. The lecture will take place on April 29, 2026, in 405 Alderman Hall at the University of Minnesota. Please join the Department of Horticultural Science in congratulating Dr. Neil Mattson on this well-deserved recognition, and we hope to see you at the annual Kermit Olson Memorial Lecture!