The Maryland Turfgrass Council donated $50,000 to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) to establish the Turfgrass Pathology Endowed Fund. In addition to this initial contribution, the council has pledged another $20,000 annually for the next 5 years. The goal is to expand the fund to eventually support an Endowed Chair for Turfgrass Pathology in the Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture (PSLA).
“This fund will not only help grow our turfgrass program at the University of Maryland but will also eventually help recruit an industry expert to lead the program and help it to prosper,” said Peter Dernoeden, Ph.D., a University of Maryland Extension turfgrass management specialist and PSLA professor. “We’re so thankful to the Maryland Turfgrass Council for laying this foundation.”
The Maryland Turfgrass Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the turfgrass industry in the state of Maryland and has more than 1,500 active members.
The management of turfgrasses is a highly specialized profession with numerous career opportunities for those possessing degrees in the field. Turf and golf course management program graduates from UMD are commonly employed as golf course superintendents, stadium or professional sports facility managers, parks and recreation facility managers, lawn care company owners and managers, and turfgrass environmental specialists, among other professions.
For more information on the turfgrass programs at UMD, please visit http://psla.umd.edu/PLSC/C_turf.cfm. and http://iaa.umd.edu/programs.