FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Several University of Arkansas students and faculty from the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences attended the recent Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Science meeting in Orlando, Fla., with two students claiming first-place honors in two separate competitions.

Students Raven Bough, Jay Gates, Tyler Patrick, Bethany Sebesta and Jeff Segler attended the meeting and participated in competition events. The ASHS meeting was held in conjunction with the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists.

Patrick, with mentorship from professor Curt Rom, placed first in the Undergraduate Research Oral Presentation contest while Sebesta, guided by professor John Clark, won the Undergraduate Research Poster competition and placed second to Patrick in the oral presentation category.

Patrick’s presentation was titled “Evaluation of Cover Crops in High Tunnel Vegetable Production Rotation.”

“It was a great opportunity to compete at the meeting,” said Patrick. “I am very grateful to the horticulture department at the University of Arkansas for properly preparing me and pushing me to reach my goals. It was a great achievement to win the competition. This experience will be of great benefit as I pursue a master’s degree in horticulture.”

Sebesta’s poster, “Characterization of Seediness in Blackberry Genotypes,” evaluated blackberry selections and cultivars from the U of A Fruit Research Station and the industry standard “Tupy.” Scores from a sensory panel compared berry and pyrene (seed) evaluations, drawing correlations between scores and attributes.

“It was an honor to represent the University of Arkansas and the horticulture department at the meeting,” said Sebesta. “Being able to share my findings with other scientists is a great starting point for my career, and including this experience on my resume is an advantage that will set me apart from other students applying to graduate programs. I encourage any students interested in research to talk to their adviser about a project. It will enhance their university experience and give them a competitive edge.”

Several faculty members were actively involved as well. Rom chaired the master’s degree student oral presentation and doctoral student oral presentation categories. Clark chaired the undergraduate oral presentation contest, associate professor Elena Garcia was the leader for the fruit section and assistant professor Garry McDonald was the leader for the education section.

Rom was also elected president of the Southern Region of the ASHS for 2013.

The Southern Region ASHS consists of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Membership includes research scientists, teachers and extension specialists from universities, and state, federal and private research organizations and industry, along with a student section.

The focus of the annual meeting is the presentation of scientific papers, student paper competitions and judging contests, commodity group meetings and awards presentations.