Meet the many integral members of the department and learn about their horticultural career journey in our new series, This is my Hort-Story!
Current job title: Lawn Water Conservation Educator
Current lab/team: Turfgrass Science
Time spent working in the Department of Horticultural Science: 6 years as of March 2026
Pronouns: He/Him
The thing that brought me to a career in horticulture was…
Well, there’s a long version of that story, but the short version is that I really enjoyed working at my hometown golf course with my friends. I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and career, and I went down a few paths that didn’t end up being the right fit. While I was already a University of Minnesota student, one of my best friends was in the UMN Turfgrass Science program, studying Turfgrass Management and planning for a career in the golf course industry. After a conversation with him and some thought — and knowing how much I liked the work and also loved playing golf — I went over to Alderman Hall and spoke with people in the department office in the summer of 1999 to change my major. That’s when I became a turf student at the UMN with the goal of becoming a golf course superintendent, which I eventually did, before coming back to the university to work with Dr. Eric Watkins and the Turfgrass Science team in 2020.
The professional accomplishment that fills me with pride so far this year is…
Obviously it’s still very early in the season, but we recently submitted the 2025 annual report to the Met Council, who helps fund our work, and it recaps my work along with the contributions of the Turfgrass Science team. It really is a strong team, and everyone involved does such a good job helping us meet the objectives of the grant. It’s rewarding to see everything we’ve accomplished during the season and to keep moving forward with the research, the learning, and the work of helping to reduce unnecessary irrigation, use more drought‑tolerant grasses, and make better lawn watering choices.
The most unusual part of my job is…
One of the initiatives we’re working on is the Network Diffusion Project, or what we call the “Lawn Leader Project.” In short, we’re training UMN Master Gardener volunteers in the best lawn‑management practices so they can host their neighbors and share a few simple techniques that reduce unnecessary irrigation and lead to healthier lawns. Master Gardeners go through eleven online modules we created — covering topics like mowing, watering, and how to operate an irrigation controller — and then we bring them to the St. Paul side of campus for a hands-on session where we go through demonstrations they can use at their neighborhood events. After that, the Lawn Leaders pick a day, invite their neighbors, and choose at least three topics from the training to teach. The idea is to help each neighborhood have someone they can go to when they have a lawn question, and we hope what they learn gets shared and diffused throughout the neighborhood. None of that is unusual. What is unusual is that I’ll show up at some of these Lawn Leader events on the day they host. I’m there to observe, help answer questions if they come up, or take a few photos to document the day. It’s not something most people expect, because most of my work usually happens on campus, at research plots, or at larger public events — not in someone’s backyard or driveway. So when I’m the one showing up at their home, it’s a different experience for both of us, but it’s a good way for me to see the program in action and support them in a more personal setting.
My favorite thing about working in the department is…
Continuing to work in the Turfgrass industry. It has been a great career, and I still can’t believe that the choice I made years ago to pursue my golf course superintendent dream eventually led me back here. I’m still learning and growing, and I honestly wish I’d had all the knowledge I’ve gained at the UMN back when I was a superintendent.
My favorite time of year on campus is…
Fall. It’s a combination of a few things. Mostly it’s the weather, because I’m not a fan of hot summers and I like being able to wear a hoodie or a jacket without being uncomfortable. The fall colors are great, too, and I like that the growing season is slowing down. Turf is heading into dormancy and getting ready for winter, and there’s something about that transition that I really enjoy.