– Amy Irish-Brown (Michigan State University)
Amy is working on her PhD in plant pathology. Her area of interest is Fruit Tree Diseases. Her goal is to bring more useful information back to the growers in Michigan, especially the Grand Rapids area. She also continues her role as MSU Extension district fruit educator.
– Ginette Golembiewski (Michigan State University)
Ginette is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in horticulture. She is enrolled in the Bailey Scholar program at MSU. Her career ambition is to farm and operate a restaurant that features Michigan-grown agricultural products. She also hopes to create a place where young women leaving foster care can spend a summer learning how to run a business, grow food, and gain self-esteem.
– Leah Granke (Michigan State University)
Leah is nearing completion of a PhD in plant pathology. She has worked in Dr. Mary Hausbeck’s lab during her graduate studies. Her dissertation research has focused on phyophthora capsici, a major disease problem for a number of vegetable crops grown in Michigan. She plans to continue working in Dr. Hausbeck’s lab as a postdoctoral researcher while pursuing a faculty position in plant pathology at a Land Grant university.
– Chad Herrmann (Michigan State University)
Chad will be completing a master’s degree in horticulture next spring. His thesis research involves a comprehensive study of registered onion herbicides to determine the best methods for effective weed control. He is also working with a computer-guided flamer for post-emergent weed control in both conventional and organic systems. He hopes to be involved in vegetable production either directly or with an ag-related company.
– Bill Holdsworth (Michigan State University)
Bill will graduate in May with a dual major in plant biology and horticulture. In addition to his undergraduate studies, Bill has worked part time in a plant genetics research laboratory in the department of horticulture. He plans to attend graduate school in hopes of pursuing a career as a plant breeder of vegetable crops.
– Tiffany Lillrose (Michigan State University)
Tiffany is pursuing a master’s degree in horticulture and her area of interest is sustainable fruit production. She would eventually like to become a professor and do research. Her particular area of interest is in stone fruits and in making them more efficient and economical under Michigan growing conditions. Tiffany plans on graduating December, 2011.
– Timothy Miles (Michigan State University)
Timothy is pursuing his PhD in plant pathology and his particular area of interest is small fruit diseases. He plans on looking for a postdoctoral position focusing on web-based forecast disease models for small and tree fruit. This could be in the private or academic sector. He plans on graduating in December, 2011.
– Gunnar Nyblad (Michigan State University)
Gunnar is enrolled in the two-year ag-tech program. His major is ag industry with interest in fruit production. He has been working on his family farm since childhood. After graduating in the spring of 2010, Gunnar plans to continue working with his family at New Leaf Orchards.
– Nicholas Rasch (Michigan State University)
Nicholas is working on his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management. His area of interest is in fruit farm management. In the future, he plans to carry on his family’s 100-year farming tradition at Fruit Ridge. He plans to graduate in the spring of 2012.
– Mike Roth (Michigan State University)
Mike is a junior majoring in crop and soil sciences. For the past two summers, he worked for Helena Chemical Company, scouting fruit and vegetable crops and making pest management recommendations to growers. Upon graduation, he plans to work as an agronomist for a farm chemical company. He would also like to add some vegetable crop production to his family’s farm in Lowell, MI.
– Letizia Tozzini (Michigan State University)
Letizia is pursuing her PhD in horticulture and her area of interest is tree pathology and grapes. Her career interest is to pursue either public or private research in sustainable production in the fruit industry. She has worked on nutrition management in grape and measuring the carbon footprint of cherry production. She plans on graduating in the summer of 2011.
Jordan B. Tatter Scholarships:
– Kristin Oomen (Michigan State University)
Kristin is working on a bachelor’s degree in crop and soil science. She grew up on a family vegetable crop farm in Hart, MI. In addition to experience on the farm, she has finished an internship this past summer with Seminis Vegetable Seeds in DeForest, WI. She plans on working as an agronomist with specialty crops and eventually return to the family farm.
– Zachary Hayden (Michigan State University)
Zach is working on his PhD in the department of horticulture. His doctoral thesis is “Optimizing the Benefits of Cereal-Legume Cover Crop Mixtures in Vegetable Cropping Systems.” His career aspirations are to conduct meaningful applied research, educate the next generation, and collaborate internationally. He plans on graduating spring of 2013.