The Toro Company is proud to announce that the James R. Watson Scholarship recipients are Nicholas Gialloreto and Alexander Kowalewski. The program awards scholarships to students who are planning to pursue a career in the sports turf industry.
The James R. Watson Scholarship was established in 1998 in honor of Dr. James R. Watson. During his extensive career, Dr. Watson taught, conducted research, contributed to texts on turfgrass science and authored over 400 articles. He was a long-time agronomist at The Toro Company, has received many awards and served on many boards associated with the turfgrass industry. Dr. Watson has been invaluable throughout his career, serving to enhance communication between the business community and the research and academic arena of the turfgrass industry. Gialloreto and Kowalewski were presented the scholarships at the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Awards Banquet January 16 in San Jose.
Nicholas Gialloreto attends The Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Turfgrass Sciences. Raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Gialloreto was always playing a sport while enjoying the outdoors, so it became quite evident to him to pursue a career which would let him continue enjoying both of his passions. His varied work experience includes positions at golf courses in both Pittsburgh and Penn State; at Medlar Field during the PSU baseball season; and an internship for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Currently, he is working at Penn State University Golf Courses where the main focus is irrigation and drainage work for the upcoming Big Ten Championship Tournament. Gialloreto is an active member of the STMA and is president of the Penn State Turfgrass Club. He will look to securing a summer internship with a professional football team, with hopes to extend through the pro season.
Alexander Kowalewski is attending Michigan State University, specializing in Crop and Soil Science/Turfgrass Management. Current research for a PhD is improving native soil athletic field drainage and playability characteristics with drain tile installation and subsequent sand topdressing applications. This will provide a cost effective solution to failing native soil fields. While obtaining this degree, Kowalewski has been involved in a variety of golf, home lawn, and athletic field turfgrass research projects. He served as a resident consultant for the modular field project for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. After graduation, Kowalewski plans to pursue a University position as a professor in turfgrass management, focusing on athletic field improvement, construction and maintenance.
The applicants are judged on academic preparation, cumulative grade point average, experience in sports turf management, and references provided by student advisors and previous or current employers. They are also evaluated on their contributions to their school, department, and organizations to which they belong, as well as their career objectives.