In this engaging talk, recently retired professor, Elizabeth Mitcham reflects on her career journey to offer valuable advice to students. Drawing from personal experiences and professional milestones, Professor Mitcham will share insights on making choices throughout your career, seizing opportunities, and maintaining work-life balance. The talk covers essential topics such as the importance of networking, knowing what you value most, and the benefits of pursuing diverse interests. By weaving these lessons into a narrative of her own career, Professor Mitcham aims to inspire students to navigate their academic and professional paths with confidence, resilience, and purpose.
Come to the Hort Theater to hear about exciting job opportunities with Driscoll’s, the global leader in fresh market berries! You’ll hear an overview of our business operations and locations as well as the types of roles we hire for and what we look for in prospective candidates. You may even hear a few tips and tricks to help get your application noticed that you can use with us – or other prospective employers. Please join for an informal presentation and short Q&A session.
I work on Driscoll's talent acquisition team and enjoy talking about career choices and Driscoll's business. I've been recruiting scientists and various business functions for Driscoll's global operations for almost 9 years. Come by and talk about various was you can join Driscoll's... Read More →
A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to ornamentals – i.e. floriculture, nursery crops, breeding, turf, ornamentals industry, botanic gardens, landscape industry, orchids, etc.
People in academics and in the industry are regularly asked to write letters of recommendation for students, or even employees. Writing recommendation letters is generally not something people learn or get formal guidance about. And it’s not something that graduate students typically learn in their degree program. Undoubtedly, many members of our industry and profession will have (student) requests for a support letter for a scholarship, internship, employment, promotion, etc. Based on personal experience reviewing hundreds of scholarships and award applications for several programs, this presentation will provide insight to assist in writing effective letters of recommendation. Providing a quality recommendation requires thought and effort to enhance the requestor’s success. Specific items a recommender should consider when crafting a recommendation ideally would include obtaining the person’s current resume; a copy of the scholarship or opportunity they are applying to so the nominator can specifically address and connect the individual to the opportunity; specific details including when the recommendation is needed, format required, etc. Things to consider in the nomination letter include specific relationship to the individual; anecdotes with the particular person that can set the candidate apart; relevant industry/work experiences; awards, recognitions, and involvements, especially if they are not always included in the resume. Authors should avoid letters that are too long, or too short, and adhere to any limitations outlined by the request. Avoid simply repeating or rehashing the student’s resume, instead provide more detailed insight and praise related to specific resume items. Sometimes sharing the letter with the student can be appropriate. It provides an opportunity for them to express concern for something that the author might have over-represented or, perhaps add something the author did not include that could increase impact. Moreover, the letter is form of feedback and can foster a growth mindset and has the potential to enhance the student’s performance. Additionally, this activity should and can be documented for a faculty performance review. Writing letters can be time consuming and rewarding, both for the nominee and yourself. Hopefully insight shared will assist individuals with constructing quality support letters and recommendations.
A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to fruit, vegetable, and edible crops – i.e. citrus, breeding, production systems, postharvest, pomology, crop management, viticulture, etc.
The Department of Horticulture has 16 research, teaching and extension faculty members and about 40 full-time staff plus additional hourly workers located primarily in Fayetteville, Little Rock, and at research stations in Clarksville and Kibler, AR. The department is home to approximately 15 graduate students and 75 undergraduate students and focuses on sustainable horticulture, landscape and ornamentals, fruit, vegetable, and ornamental/landscape field and controlled environment production, and turfgrass science. The faculty members work throughout the state, have strong relationships at different Division of Agriculture research stations and work directly with producers and other relevant stakeholders. There are several exciting collaborations and novel research and extension opportunities immediately available. Among the six faculty who are actively seeking graduate students, there are projects in ornamentals, public horticulture, physiology, fruit breeding and production, integrated pest management in entomology and weed science, and controlled environment horticulture.
Ready to dig deeper into your passion of the science of cultivated plants and take your career to new heights? Join us for an engaging session where Dr. Tanisha M. Williams, a prominent plant biologist and Fulbright U.S. Student alum, will share how the Fulbright Program can be your gateway to global opportunities. Imagine traveling the world, researching climate impacts on plant species, or exploring conservation efforts in diverse ecosystems. This is your chance to learn how Fulbright can help you cultivate essential career competencies, build lasting international connections, and prepare for a dynamic career in a multicultural world. Don’t miss this opportunity to enrich your academic journey and grow your professional network.
Dr. Tanisha M. Williams is an Assistant Professor in Plant Biology and Director of the UGA Herbarium. Her research uses an integrative approach to explore the impacts climate change has on plants found throughout South Africa, Australia, and the United States. Fulbright alum, she also founded Black Botanists Week to amplify diverse voices in science. Dr. Williams earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut in 2019.
The agricultural production system and the education system in Indian subcontinent and US are very different. Thus, students and post docs coming to US to pursue research and career encounter dilemma and challenges in selecting right career path. For example, in Indian subcontinent higher emphasis is given to research and teaching whereas extension and administration are not fully understood. The goal of this special session will be for students to have open dialogues with experts in the field of research, extension, teaching, and administration with Indian sub-continent background, so the panel understands the challenges faced by incoming students. This session will benefit all the graduate students and researchers who are preparing to for the next step in career.
Coordinator(s)
Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, United States
Speaker/Participant(s)
Bhimu Patil, Texas A&M University, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, College Station, Texas, United States
Ajay Nair, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
Rajasekaran Lada, Dalhousie University, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
Pradeep Marri, Pairwise Plants, Associate Director, Controlled Environments and Trait Testing, United States
