TURF ALUMNI NEWS

Last updated 2/9/05

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January 2005

PURDUE RECEPTION IN ORLANDO AT THE GCSAA CONFERENCE

The Purdue Alumni and Friends Reception will be Thursday, February 10 in the Orlando Rosen Centre from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Salon 2. Craig Beyrouty, Agronomy Department Head, will be joining the group for the evening. There will be a raffle for an autographed Purdue Football and Basketball at the reception.

TURF SCHOLARSHIPS

Jim Newman	Midwest Regional Turf Foundation Scholarship
Jared Nemitz	Midwest Regional Turf Foundation Scholarship
Jake Metz	Midwest Regional Turf Foundation Scholarship
Cory St. Clair	Max Slack Scholarship
Daryl Witkowski	Bayer Environmental Sciences Scholarship
Joey Stevenson	The Daniel Scholarship
Ben Taylor	Steve Frazier Memorial Scholarship

RECENT GRADUATES

December 2004

Bachelor of Science Degree

Steven Biehl

Tim Kortanek

Andrew Laub

Jason Schafer

STUDENT COMPETITION AT THE SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION MEETING

Joey Stevenson, James Bergdoll, and Daniel Mudd traveled to Phoenix for the first Student Competition at the Sports Turf Managers Association Meetings. The Purdue team placed 4th out of the 17 teams competing. While in Phoenix the students took advantage of the opportunity and visited the Arizona Diamondback’s stadium (Bank One Ballpark).

WELCOME YIWEI JIANG

I feel so excited being a new faculty member of the Agronomy Department at Purdue University. I will be doing research and teaching in an area of turfgrass physiology. Research in my lab will address how turfgrasses deal with environmental stresses and what physiological strategies grasses use for their survival from unfavorable conditions. We hope the projects will provide useful information for research, education, and practical purposes. I love turfgrasses as they look pretty.

I grew up in Northwestern China where the climate is dry. I received a B.S. in Horticulture and M.S. in Plant Physiology both in China, and came to the USA in the fall of 1997 after 5 years working in Beijing as a Research Scientist. I received my Ph.D. at Kansas State University under the supervision of Dr. Bingru Huang in 2001, and then joined Dr. Bob Carrow’s research program as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin from 2001 to 2004.

I think I will have to start following BIG 10 athletics now, although my favorite sport is table tennis. Tennis and badminton are also on my list. If you ask me about my most favorite hobby the answer is music. I like American country music since they are easier for me to understand when I am listening. Life is beautiful, so enjoy!

STEVE FRAZIER

Stephen Frazier 72, passed away November 17. Steve was born June 9, 1932 in Indianapolis, IN. He received his B.S. from Butler in 1956 in Botany and his M.S. from Purdue in 1959 in Turf Management. Steve was President and owner of The Links Group, Inc., a golf design and renovation company. He was an Army Veteran of the Korean War. Steve’s memberships included St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Indiana Golf Course Superintendents Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation. He was the only three time President of the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation, from whom he received the Distinguished Service Award in 1999. His wife Nancy Northern Frazier and son Sam Frazier preceded him in death. Memorial Contributions may be made to Midwest Regional Turf Foundation.

THANKS FOR ATTENDING OR HELPING WITH ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL MIDWEST TURF EXPO

On behalf of the Turf Program and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation (MRTF), I’d like to thank everyone who helped with and/or attended the 2005 Midwest Turf Expo on January 18-19 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The Expo provides tremendous positive exposure for the Turf Program and the MRTF, and it could never happen without the help of many, many volunteers. Some of the highlights of the Expo include

Over 1500 professionals attended workshops and educational sessions covering all areas of turf, parks, and recreation industries.
The tradeshow consisted of over 100 companies exhibiting in 175 booths displaying turf equipment and products as well as park and recreation supplies and equipment.
Golf course superintendent associations and other organizations presented donations to the MRTF totaling well over $35,000 to support turfgrass research and education. These donations came from superintendent fundraisers, special purchase offers through distributors, and member donations from Elcona CC in Elkhart.
The MRTF presented a check to the Purdue University Department of Agronomy for over $186,000 for support of the turfgrass research and education.
John Morris was awarded the 2005 MRTF Distinguished Service Award for his many years of support to the Turf Program, it’s students, and the Industry.

Thanks again for everyone’s help and support, and please contact us at 765-494-8039 if you have suggestions on improving the Turf Expo or any other aspect of the Purdue Turf Program.
Zac Reicher

Send corrections, suggestions, and comments to biehlj@purdue.edu