Interests

• Plant propagation
• Native plants
• Plant conservation
• Economic botany
• Herb gardening
• Shrub and tree pruning
• Natural history

About

I am a horticulturist am responsible for maintaining various display gardens in the F.R. Newman Arboretum. I’m apprenticing with Pam Shade, horticulturist in charge of the Robison York State Herb Garden; and I recently served as interim manager of our greenhouse and plant propagation operations. During the winter months, I assist with shrub and tree pruning. I work with volunteers, students, and interns, and participate in educational programming.

I hold a B.S. in environmental plant biology from Ohio University and a M.S. in ecology from the University of Georgia.

My interest in plants developed as an undergraduate student after I took a course in economic botany, which emphasized the relationship between plants and people. I realized how heavily we rely on plants for so many of our vital needs and decided to pursue a career in the plant sciences. Over the past 20 years, plants have been the center of my endeavors. My experiences include public horticulture, plant conservation, teaching, and nursery production. I love working outdoors in beautiful settings, being active, and sharing my knowledge and passion for plants with others.