NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
Dr. Nina Bassuk obtained her Ph.D. in Horticulture from the
University of London, UK and is currently a professor and program
leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University. She
also sits on the executive board of the New York State Urban Forestry
Council. Nina is co- author of 'Trees in the Urban Landscape,' a text
for landscape architects and horticultural practitioners on establishing
trees in disturbed and urban landscapes. She is on the technical
advisory committee of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) and
works closely with municipalities to help implement best practices in
urban forestry management. Nina helped to develop the Student
Weekend Arborist Team (SWAT) to inventory public trees in small
communities.
Birgitta Brophy is a Registered Landscape Architect and teaches
design and site engineering classes for the Golf and Plant Science
Department at SUNY Delhi. Birgitta has a diverse background in the
landscape industry and design field. She has experience in plant
propagation, nursery sales, historic garden and architecture
preservation, and has worked as a landscape architect in the private
and public arenas.
Ronald Dodson is founder and President of Audubon International,
through which he created the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System
(including programs for schools, golf courses and municipalities) and
the Audubon Signature Cooperative Sanctuary Program designed for
properties in the planning and design stages of development. Mr.
Dodson is chairman of Audubon International Golf & Environment Land
Trust, Inc. and a member of the United States Golf Association
Turfgrass and Environmental Research Committee.
Alan Dungey is the Sales and Operations Manager for Great Lakes
Athletic Fields, a company that provides athletic field maintenance,
construction, and consultation services headquartered in Buffalo, New
York. Prior to this position, he worked as the Director of Facility
Operations for Paetec Park. Other positions he has held include
Manager of Horticulture and Grounds Facilities at St. John Fisher
College, Facility Manager at Frontier Field and Head Groundskeeper
with the Ottawa Lynx, a Triple-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos.
Dave Dynowski, CSE, has been the Northeast District Sales Manager
for the Commercial Products Division of The Toro Company since 2004.
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Environmental Resource Management/Urban Horticulture
with a concentration in Turf Grass Management. Dave has been
working in the turf industry for more than 22 years with experience in
golf course and landscape maintenance, as owner of a contract
aeration business and turf equipment sales.
Brian Eshenaur is the Western New York Ornamental IPM Specialist
for Cornell's Integrated Pest Management Program. Brian earned his
Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture from Delaware Valley
College and a Master of Science degree in plant pathology from North
Carolina State University.
Dr. Jennifer Grant is co-director of the New York State IPM Program
at Cornell University, where she also serves as the Coordinator for
Community IPM. Jennifer received her Ph.D. in Entomology from
Cornell University, and her Masters and Bachelors degrees from the
University of Vermont. Dr. Grant’s specialty is researching and
extending low-impact pest management practices for turfgrass.
Rick Harper is the Extension Assistant Professor of Urban and
Community Forestry at the University of Massachusetts. His
responsibilities include extension, teaching and applied research in the
Department of Environmental Conservation. Rick received his Master
of Science degree in Entomology from the University of Nebraska and
his Bachelor of Environmental Studies & Forestry from Lakehead
University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He is a Connecticut State
Licensed Arborist and an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist.
Previously, Rick worked as a technician for both the tree care and
forest industries and for over 10 years in the commercial horticulture
program at Cornell’s Extension program in Westchester County, NY.
Dr. Jason Henderson joined the Department of Plant Science and
Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut in 2005. Dr.
Henderson’s research interests include root zone selection, root zone
management, and alternative construction methods for tees, greens,
and athletic fields. He earned his Ph.D. degree from Michigan State
University in Crop and Soil Science specializing in the physical
properties of turfgrass soils. Dr. Henderson worked under Bob Hudzik,
former Head of Stadium Operations and Athletic Field Maintenance at
The Pennsylvania State University, and managed the football practice
fields at Michigan State University. He also worked as a Soil/Turfgrass
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
Consultant with Hummel & Co. Inc., one of the nation’s leading
providers of soil physical testing services for golf courses, athletic
fields, and commercial landscapes.
Dr. George Hudler is the Director of the Northeast Plant Diagnostic
Network conducting active outreach and research programs in the area
of tree pathology, including the publication of a bi-weekly pest
management newsletter, Branching Out. He has received the Gold
Medal of Horticulture Award from the New York State Nursery and
Landscape Association and the Award of Merit and Distinguished
Arborist Award from the New York State Arborists Association. Dr.
Hudler has also received the Innovative Teaching Award and the
Professor of Merit Award from Cornell University’s College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Dr. Norman Hummel, Jr. is President and owner of Hummel & Co.,
Inc., a turfgrass consulting and soil physical testing company servicing
the unique needs of the turfgrass industry. Dr. Hummel obtained his
Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from New Mexico State
University, and Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in agronomy from
The Pennsylvania State University. He was an assistant professor of
turfgrass science at both Iowa State University and Cornell University,
where he was responsible for extension education and research. Dr.
Hummel authored a manual on Athletic Field Maintenance and ASTM
Guidelines for the Maintenance of Cool Season Sports Turf. He was the
recipient of the 1996 New York State Turfgrass Association Citation of
Merit.
Dr. Jenny Kao-Kniffin is an Assistant Professor of Urban Weed
Ecology at Cornell University. Her research and extension duties focus
on managing weeds in urban landscapes that minimize the use of
chemical inputs. The New York State Turfgrass Association supported
Jenny’s first year salary at Cornell through the Turfgrass
Environmental Stewardship Fund.
Rick Kier is a Certified Snow and Ice Professional and Certified
Nursery and Landscape Professional. Rick is President and Owner of
Pro Scapes Inc., a grounds maintenance company located in Syracuse,
New York. He has been a professional snow removal contractor for 30
years in a metropolitan area where winters with over 150” of snow are
common. His company offers landscape maintenance services during
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
the spring, summer and fall seasons. Rick earned Associate degrees
from Alfred and Morrisville State Colleges while running his company,
and is a founding board member of the Snow and Ice Management
Association (SIMA), where he’s served on the board of directors for 10
years.
Dr. Alec Kowalewski is an assistant professor at the Abraham
Baldwin Agricultural College teaching courses focused on the principles
of horticulture, grounds irrigation, turfgrass diseases, insects and
nematode management, and sports turf management. Dr. Kowalewski
received his Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State
University. His research background includes organic weed control,
sports turf management, sod production, pre and post-emergence
herbicide use and golf green management. Kowalewski served as a
resident consultant at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and
is a Briggs and Stratton Yard Smarts expert.
William Kreuser is working toward his Ph.D. at Cornell University
with Dr. Frank Rossi. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of
Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the
Department of Soil Science. Bill spent two years interning at the
Straits Course at Whistling Straits, including preparation for the 2008
US Senior Open and 2010 PGA Championship, as well as a two week
internship with USGA agronomist Bob Vaverk. Bill has studied how the
plant growth regulator Primo Maxx affected growth, development and
nutrient requirements of creeping bentgrass putting greens. He also
developed a growing degree day system to schedule trinexapac-ethyl
re-applications.
Richard Kruzansky is a geologist with a Masters Degree in Soil
Science. For the past four years Richard has worked for the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation on protecting the
water resources for New York State. For 20 years he was Director of
Soil and Water Body Management for Central Park in New York City.
Anthony Lamanno earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental
Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Anthony has
19 years of experience with the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation and currently holds the position of
Pesticide Compliance and Laboratory Services Section Chief for the
Bureau of Pest Management in the Division of Materials Management.
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
Brian Liberti is the City Forester for the City of Rochester. Prior to
this position, Brian was the City Forester for the City of Syracuse for 8
years. He has a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the SUNY College
of Environmental Science and Forestry. Brian is a certified arborist,
and serves on the board of the New York State Arborists Association.
Dr. Christopher Luley joined Urban Forestry LLC in 2004. Prior to
joining Urban Forestry, Dr. Luley was a Technical Advisor and Urban
Forestry Consultant for 14 years with two major northeast tree care
and consulting companies. He was also a State Forest Pathologist for
Missouri and managed the plant diagnostic clinic for Iowa State
University. He earned graduate degrees in Forest Pathology from the
State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and
Forestry and Iowa State University.
Steven McDonald is the founder of Turfgrass Disease Solutions, LLC
which is an independent research and agronomic support company
based in the Mid-Atlantic region. Steve is an instructor in the
Professional Golf Turf Management School at Rutgers University and
has over 15 years in the golf course management business. He
received a Bachelor of Science degree in Turfgrass Management from
Delaware Valley College and a Master of Science degree in Agronomy
from University of Maryland. Turfgrass Disease Solutions' research
efforts currently focus on plant protection, weed control, fertility and
cultural practices of fine turfgrass.
Dr. Ben McGraw is an assistant professor in the Golf and Plant
Sciences Department at the State University of New York at Delhi.
Dr. McGraw obtained a Master of Science degree in Entomology from
the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. in Entomology from
Rutgers University. At Delhi, Ben teaches turfgrass management,
horticultural entomology, irrigation design and installation, golf course
design, and financial management for golf courses. He conducts
entomological research in areas of biological control, insect ecology
and integrated pest management (IPM). Ben’s research focuses on
improving the cultural and biological control of turfgrass insect pests.
Adam Moeller is an agronomist in the Northeast Region of the USGA
Green Section. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison,
where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture with
special emphasis on turfgrass management. Adam also received a
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
Master of Science degree in Agronomy from Purdue University
conducting research in several areas of turfgrass management. He
has worked on several notable golf courses in Wisconsin, including
Blackwolf Run/Whistling Straits in Kohler and Blackhawk Country Club
in Madison.
Kevin Panke-Buisse earned a Bachelor degree in biology from
Carthage College, and is a Ph.D. student at Cornell University in the
Department of Horticulture, working with Dr. Jenny Kao-Kniffin.
Kevin’s research focuses on the development and testing of new
bioherbicides from soil microbial communities.
Brad Park is the Sports Turf Education & Research Coordinator at
Rutgers University, where he performs traffic stress research on coolseason turfgrass species commonly established for sports fields. He
routinely visits municipal and board of education facilities in New
Jersey to assist turf managers in solving problems associated with high
traffic sports fields. Prior to being at Rutgers, Brad was a Research
Technician at the Center for Turfgrass Science at The Pennsylvania
State University, where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in
Turfgrass Science and Master of Science degree in Agronomy.
Dr. Daniel Peck has worked over 20 years in applied ecology, insectplant interactions and integrated pest management. He is the lead
scientist at EntomoTech Fundamentals; an independent consulting firm
that helps clients overcome the challenges of turf-infesting, grassfeeding and soil-dwelling insect pests through applied research, private
consulting and customized training. Before launching EntomoTech
Fundamentals, Dr. Peck worked 7 years as a research scientist at the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture, then 7 years as an
Assistant Professor at Cornell University where he led the soil insect
ecology and turfgrass entomology program. He earned his Bachelor’s
Degree from the University of Wisconsin and his Ph.D. from Cornell
University.
Dale Peterman has been the Director of Grounds for Sweet Home
Central School District, in Amherst, NY since 2009. Sweet Home fields
has been awarded the “Pioneer Athletics Field of Excellence Award” for
the last three years. Dale has a degree in Turf and Golf Course
Management from SUNY Delhi. Prior to Sweet Home School, he
worked in the golf industry at Drumlins Country Club, Wayne Hills
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
Country Club, Northern Pines Golf Course, Millstone Golf Club and
Gowanda Country Club.
Dr. Matthew Peterson is a research associate for Cornell University
in the Department of Entomology at the New York State Agricultural
Experiment Station in Geneva. Matthew has a Master of Science
degree from the University of Tennessee in Entomology and Plant
Pathology with a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and a
Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Entomology.
Dr. Marty Petrovic is a professor of turfgrass science at Cornell
University. He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Dr.
Petrovic specializes in turfgrass and golf course management, and has
published over 200 articles in scientific journals and trade publications.
His areas of research include environmental impact and management,
soil amendments, and soil nutrient issues. His extension
responsibilities include water quality, water use issues and nutrient
management in turf.
Andrew Pleninger is Vice President of Urban Forestry LLC, providing
management consulting in urban forestry and arboriculture for
municipal, commercial and residential clients. Prior to this position,
Andrew worked as a City Forester for the City of Rochester. He
received a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource
Management with a concentration in Urban Forestry from Colorado
State University. Andrew is a Certified Arborist with the International
Society of Arboriculture; member of the New York State Arborist
Association; and board member and past president of the New York
State Urban and Community Forestry Council.
Bob Portmess is an Extension Associate in the Department of
Horticulture and Turf Science at Cornell University. He received a
Masters of Professional Studies degree in Turf Science from Cornell
University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial
Engineering/Operations Research from Syracuse University.
Joseph Potrikus is a Certified Sports Field Manager and Vice
President of Greener World Landscape Maintenance, LLC. In 1999, Joe
and his wife, Doreen, started this lawn and landscape maintenance
business specializing in commercial and residential turf management.
He graduated from SUNY Morrisville with an Associate in Applied
Sciences degree in Ornamental Horticulture. He has over 25 years of
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
commercial turf management experience throughout New Jersey, New
York, and Southern New England.
Andrew Rabb is the Deputy Commissioner for the City of Buffalo
Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets. He is responsible for
the Division of Parks and Recreation, which includes the city’s forestry
operation. Prior to returning to Buffalo in 2010, Andy served as the
Director of Brooklyn Forestry for the City of New York. He is a
Graduate of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
with a dual degree in Resource Management and Environmental Forest
Biology.
Dr. Frank Rossi is an Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science and
the New York Extension Turfgrass Specialist. He leads the turfgrass
teaching program at Cornell University and advises students interested
in turf, landscape architecture and resort management. In addition,
Frank conducts research and outreach education programs in the areas
of environmental quality, integrated pest management, mowing and
nutrient management.
Phill Sexton is the Director of Education and Outreach for the Snow
and Ice Management Association (SIMA) and is also the founder and
lead adviser for WIT Companies. His background includes over 20
years in the landscape, arboriculture and snow management
industries, including developing and managing landscape and snow
businesses throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
James Skorulski joined the USGA Green Section staff as an
Agronomist in the Northeastern Region in 1989. Jim earned a
Bachelor of Science and Forestry degree in Forest Biology from the
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Master of
Professional Studies degree from Cornell University. He is involved
with teaching turf management programs at Cornell University and the
University of Massachusetts.
Dr. John Sorochan received his Ph.D. in turfgrass science from
Michigan State University and is presently an Associate Professor &
Distinguished Scientist of Turfgrass Science and Management in the
Plant Sciences Department of the University of Tennessee. Dr.
Sorochan is also the Co-Director for the University of Tennessee’s
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016
Center for Athletic Field Safety. He is the recipient of the 2011 Sports
Turf Managers Association Dr. William Daniels Founders Award.
Nicholas Testa is an instructor in the Agricultural Engineering
Department at SUNY Cobleskill, where he also earned his Bachelor of
Technology degree. Nick is a member of the Equipment and Engine
Training Council and serves on the council’s Diesel Engine Committee
and Education Committee.
Dr. Pat Vittum received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry
from the College of Wooster in Ohio. She earned both Master of
Science and Ph.D. degrees in Entomology from Cornell University. Pat
has served on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts since June
1980. She is the senior author of the revised Turfgrass Insects of the
United States and Canada and is working on a non-technical book on
pesticides in the environment. Her primary areas of research are the
biology and management of white grubs and annual bluegrass weevils.
Steve Wiseman has worked for the last two years in grounds
operations at Union-Endicott Central School. Prior to working at the
school Steve spent 12 years with the Binghamton Mets, the AA affiliate
of the New York Mets. He spent 6 years as the assistant to the head
groundskeeper and 6 years as the head groundskeeper. Steve has a
Bachelor’s degree in sports management from Tusculem University in
Greensville, Tennessee.
Dr. Frank Wong is a technical service specialist at Bayer
Environmental Science based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining
Bayer in 2011, Frank was an associate professor and extension
specialist at the University of California, Riverside. Dr. Wong earned
his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of
California, Davis and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Cornell
University. His research interests revolve around turfgrass diseases
and management, and he has national responsibilities for the technical
service of Bayer's fungicide portfolio for turfgrass use. Dr. Wong was
also an associate editor for Plant Disease and is currently editor in
chief of Plant Disease Management Reports.
NYSTA 2012 Turf & Grounds Exposition
3/7/2016