Several Horticulture Department students and faculty members from the University of Arkansas represented the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the recent Southern Region of the American Society for Horticulture Science meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The SR-ASHS meeting was held in conjunction with the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists.

More than 15 Bumpers College students participated at the annual meeting. Of those students, two placed first, one placed second and one placed third in presentation competitions, and one student was elected to office.

“From the student competition side, the presence of the Bumpers College and University of Arkansas was very clear and strong,” said University Professor of horticulture Curt Rom.

Bumpers College honor student Olivia Hines, mentored by horticulture University Professor John R. Clark, placed first in the undergraduate oral research presentation competition. Doctoral student Alejandra Salgado, also advised by Clark, placed first in the doctoral student oral research presentation competition. Horticulture program specialist and horticulture masters student Luke Freeman, guided by Rom, placed second in the master student division.

The Bumpers College was further represented in the graduate oral research presentation competition by Alyssa Barnes. Barnes is a student at Henderson State University but participated in the summer research for undergraduate experience program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture at the U of A. Barnes was mentored by Rom and placed first in the poster research presentation competition.

Matt Gal, horticulture junior and GoGreen student organization president, placed third in the fruit and vegetable judging competition.

Horticulture sophomore Loren Anthony, another advisee of Clark, was elected secretary of the American Collegiate Branch of the Southern Region of the ASHS.

The publication, “Moving the Needle: Accomplishments of the National Strawberry Sustainability Initiative,” by Rom, Freeman, Heather Friedrich, Leah Malvar and Ron Rainey received the outstanding blue ribbon publication award for outreach publications.

Horticulture professor and department head Wayne Mackay, who served as the SR-ASHS president and SAAS representative for a year, gave the presidential address. In his presentation Mackay stressed the importance of mentorships and collegialism in professional development.

Horticulture graduate students Megan McGovern, Julia Stover, and Susan Alman in addition to undergraduate students Megan Lankford, Lesley Smith, Rickie Lee Hicks and Jack McCoy participated at the meeting. Several faculty members made presentations at the meeting as well.

The Southern Region ASHS includes 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, 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, research group meetings, student paper competitions, judging contests, commodity group meetings and awards presentations.