GCSAA Awards Watson Fellowship Program winners content Adam Hixson, Brent Hulke, John Kauffman and Hunter Perry each have been awarded $5,000 postgraduate grants by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) as winners in the 2006 Wats
The Watson Fellowship is funded by a partnership between The Toro Co. and The Environmental Institute for Golf. The winners, students working toward master’s degrees and doctoral degrees, have been identified as promising future teachers and researchers in the field of golf course management. They also receive an all-expense paid trip to the 2007 GCSAA Education Conference (Feb. 19-24) and Golf Industry Show (Feb. 22-24) in Anaheim, Calif.
Hixson, from Raleigh, N.C., is studying turfgrass weed science/soil science at North Carolina State University. The topic for his master’s thesis was "Analysis of Sting (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) and Lance (Hoplolaimus
galeatus) Nematodes on Seashore Paspalum." His dissertation will cover the role of organic matter and microbial degradation in determining pesticide fate in managed turfgrass systems.
Hulke, from Lafayette, Minn., is studying plant breeding and genetics at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul. His master’s thesis was "Influence of Reduced Phytate on the Agronomic and Seed Characteristics of Soybean Lines with Reduced Palmitate," and his doctoral dissertation aims to find new sources of winter-hardy perennial ryegrass germplasm for use in a breeding program.
Kauffman, from St. Joseph, Minn., is studying turfgrass management at the University of Arkansas. His master’s thesis is titled "The Effects of Cultivation Treatments on Sand-Based Putting Green Rootzone Properties."
Perry, from Greenville, Miss., is working toward his master’s degree in turfgrass pathology at the University of Mississippi. His master’s thesis is titled "Disease Management Strategies for Controlling Spring Dead Spot and Isolation Frequency of the Causal Organism Ophiosphaerella korrae on Tifway Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon X C. transvaalensis)."
"If not mistaken, I held the first such fellowship given for work toward an advanced degree," said James R. Watson, Ph.D., who earned a Green Section Fellowship from the USGA permitting him to do graduate work at Penn State University from 1947 to 1950. "It enabled me to study with a teacher I have always admired and respected, Prof. H. Burton Musser. To be in the position now to help these rising stars in the golf course management profession, is a very rewarding experience for myself and The Toro Co."
Watson, now retired, is a leading authority on turfgrasses and was vice-president for customer relations and chief agronomist for Toro. The winner of the USGA Green Section Award in 1976 and the 1977 Agronomic Service Award by the American Society of Agronomy, Watson was named a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America in 1979. He also won the 1991 Harry Gill Memorial Award of the Sports Turf Managers Association and GCSAA’s highest honor in 1995, the Old Tom Morris Award. Over the course of five decades at Toro, Watson conducted research on adaptability of species and strains of turfgrasses, fertilization practices, snow mold prevention techniques for the winter protection of turfgrasses, etc. He has authored over 400 popular articles on turfgrass cultural practices and water conservation.
The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), is a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities, dedicated to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment. The Institute concentrates on funding environmental programs, including scientific research, education, information collection, outreach and scholarships. For more on The Institute, visit www.eifg.org.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary, GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
For more information contact:
Amanda Howard, GCSAA employment and scholarship administrator, at (800)
472-7878 or ahoward@gcsaa.com
Teri Harris, GCSAA managing director, development, at (800) 472-7878 or tharris@gcsaa.org
Contact:
Jeff Bollig
GCSAA director of communications
(800) 472-7878, ext. 4430
jbollig@gcsaa.org
