Dr Micah Woods Pace Turf

Micah Woods, Ph.D., to take the helm at PACE Turf

Founders of PACE Turf, Dr. Larry Stowell and Dr. Wendy Gelernter, announced the acquisition of PACE Turf by Dr. Micah Woods, president and chief scientist of the Asian Turfgrass Center (ATC). Woods will become director of the award-winning, science-based online turfgrass management information service, and Stowell and Gelernter will become visiting research directors. Woods will continue to oversee ATC research and education programs as he expands PACE Turf to meet the needs of today’s turfgrass management community, which includes golf course superintendents, sports field managers, commercial and residential landscape managers worldwide.

The PACE Turf subscription information service delivers online, premier, science-based solutions to turf management problems using site-specific climate, weather and pest forecasting systems, breaking research news, information and expert advice that is customized for each PACE Turf member location. The website also hosts an extensive collection of turf management tools and guides, including the widely used Climate Appraisal form, that is available free of charge as a public service. The service debuted in 1992 with fax-based delivery, and as the technology became available, expanded to the online membership service available today, supporting turf managers around the world.

“ATC has been a long-time collaborator with PACE Turf,” said Woods. “Together we’ve introduced tools, such as the Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition (MLSN) guidelines that have been adopted worldwide and helped turf managers reduce inputs while maintaining high quality turf. I’m immensely proud of these achievements and look forward to continuing PACE Turf’s long tradition of delivering expert and practical turf management guidance.”

Stowell and Gelernter have overseen PACE Turf since its inception. Gelernter said, “We can’t imagine anyone better suited than Micah to take on PACE Turf’s mission.”

Woods established ATC in 2006 after working as a golf course superintendent in China and Japan and upon completion of graduate studies at Cornell University. Since then, his research and educational activities have led to the international recognition of ATC. His work as a consultant, researcher and speaker has taken him to more than 30 countries on five continents. Through the ATC, he provides turfgrass advisory and soil testing services to clients around the world. Since 2009, he has also been an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee.

“We know that Micah will maintain the vast store of information already available on the PACE Turf website,” said Stowell. “Plus he will continue to raise the level of practical turf management guidance as new research and findings develop in turf science. His work with ATC is truly synergistic with PACE Turf, and we know that PACE Turf members will reap the benefits of that.”

Memberships for the PACE Turf information service are available for $275 annually. Members receive their site-specific climate, weather and pest forecasting services via email or direct access to the website. At any time, members can visit the PACE Turf website to view the pest and disease photo gallery, find management solutions via the website’s extensive reference collection and review timely updates from the PACE Turf research staff. Subscribe to PACE Turf’s online information service at https://paceturf.org/members/signup.