WVU Plant and Soil Sciences

03/24/2020

Meet Dillon Meadows, a Masters of Agriculture student-athlete and graduate assistant taking many Plant and Soil Sciences classes! He plays on the WVU baseball team and graduated from WVU last year with a degree in Agribusiness Management (he will be graduating from his graduate program in May!). From Paradise, Texas, he lives and works on a cattle ranch and loves it! In his spare time, he also loves to hunt, fish, go shooting, and being with his family! Check out this Q&A we did with him!

Plant and Soil Sciences: How do you manage to juggle being a student in a STEM field and being an athlete?

Dillon Meadows: Juggling being a student-athlete in a STEM field is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to both school and athletics. Since I am passionate about my field of study, this makes studying on bus trips and plane rides that much easier. I am always making sure that I am keeping up with my professors and establishing good relationships with them. On the other side, the commitment to baseball is just as easy. Getting to workout and be a part of something like the baseball team is fun and extraordinary. I think being able to get my Masters Degree while playing my last year of baseball at WVU has taught me most importantly perseverance.

PSS: Are you working on/have you worked on any projects throughout your time at WVU that you're really proud of?

DM: Currently, I am working on a project with Dr. Louis McDonald on a lime incubation experiment regarding my soils from Texas. We are looking to see how much lime to add on each hayfield based on its pH. Then we are coming up with a cost curve to give us the target pH in the soil for our coastal bermudagrass hay.

PSS: Professor Skousen mentioned you are pursuing your masters, but you are taking a lot of PSS classes. Which is your favorite and why?

DM: I am taking some PSS classes because of my interest in soil science. I really have gained a passion for learning what goes on in the soil and what we can do as producers to make things more efficient and economical. My favorite class that I am taking right now would be Dr. Skousen's class. The class is AGRN 455, Reclamation of Disturbed Soils. I really enjoy going to his class because of his passion for teaching reclamation. I enjoy learning about the natural sciences of soils, hydrology, forestry, chemistry, physics, and biology to land disturbances.

PSS: Do you have anything lined up/an idea of what you would like to do out of school?

DM: I accepted a job to work with United Ag and Turf after graduation and baseball in Texas doing order coordinating. United Ag and Turf is a locally owned, full-line John Deere equipment dealership with 29 locations throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

02/03/2020

The division of Plant and Soil Sciences is proud to announce the course "Seed to W**d," which will give students an insight to the growing and manufacturing process of ma*****na plants with our own Tiffany Fess. More information coming soon!

01/24/2020

Meet Yu-Chun, one of the division of Plant and Soil Sciences' most recent graduates! Yu-Chun was a PhD student concentrating in horticulture. She is beginning to work as a postdoctoral research scholar in a research center at North Carolina State University! Check out our Q&A with her below!

Plant and Soil Sciences: Was there a professor within the Soil Sciences division/Davis College that you found to be a great mentor when you were a student here? Why?
Yu-Chun Chiu: Dr. Waterland in [the] Davis College is a great mentor to work with. I look up to her as a scientist and a mentor at the same time. She sincerely care[s] for students around her and treat[s] graduate students as colleagues-in-training, which is an excellent indicator that she is a great mentor.

PSS: What is some advice you want to share with current students within the program?
YC: Take some time to think about what you want to do in the future. Opportunities are there, but they are not as easy to find as other majors (for instance, computer science). Therefore, you will need to proactively take extra steps to find out the opportunity. However, this journey can also be the most valuable journey for you, as agriculture/horticulture is a great subject for those who are interested in multiple subjects. You will need to know not only the science, but also business, marketing, geology, culture, and coding to achieve your goal. If you like challenges, then this is a great route to take.

PSS: What was your favorite part about plant and soil sciences/the Davis College when you were a student?
YC: We have a super new building with good facilities to work with. Also, everyone is supportive as a small group, and this may be the most important factor in your Davis College life. I also like we have a easy-accessible greenhouse just across the street, so a lot of experiments can be done relatively easily.

01/14/2020

Another semester off to a good start!

Welcome back students, staff, faculty. I hope 2020 greeted you like I was greeted by my witchhazel over the weekend. The warm weather (70F +) on Saturday probably did not hurt.

As we start a new year I would like to invite you (alumni, students, staff, faculty, supporters, ...) to help me create an online community where we share our excitement about soils, plants, water, the environment, insects, pathogens, genetics, and all the other things we touch.

BTW: You can also follow us on instagram and twitter!

-Dr. Verlinden

01/13/2020

Matt Bardes graduated from WVU in 1976 with a degree in Horticulture, with a few transfer credits that came from an accounting background. Now, Matt is a nursery broker, and a businessman, having started Florida Tropicals Direct, where he supplies blooming tropical plants and palms to garden centers and wholesalers along the East Coast. This November, Matt was one of the division of plant and soil sciences's top donors on WVU's Day of Giving! We are extremely thankful for his donation and we look forward to working with him in the future! Check out this Q&A we did with Matt!

Plant and Soil Sciences: What is/was your favorite part about pursuing your career choice at WVU?
Matt Bardes: The Dean back in 1973 set me on the [horticulture] path, which was the ideal for me. I knew I wanted to be involved with landscape and ornamental [horticulture] and WVU gave me the building blocks that allowed me to make decisions along my career path.

PSS: You recently donated to the division through WVU's Day of Giving, and you've shown interest in being more involved. What has motivated you to reconnect?
MB: We had been coming to Morgantown for about 10 years as our son received Medical training at WVU and is now a Surgeon at Ruby Memorial. As he has set down roots here so have we; my wife and I bought a condo in town. Two years ago I saw the new [agricultural sciences] building and a need for landscaping. I offered to help out and joined a committee working on a larger scale project for Evansdale Campus. Finally I believe there is a need for better understanding of careers in [horticulture] and other plant sciences and have offered to provide counseling to any of our students as they find a path in [horticulture].

PSS: How do you hope to become more involved at WVU in the future?
MB: We had our first try at counseling... [and I] will keep trying and get better [at it]. I am aware of several other highly successful graduates from the [agriculture] school, and maybe this can motivate them to join me in giving back to the university.

01/07/2020

At this West Virginia University seed-orchard, researchers are finding the cider apple varieties fit for each of the state’s many microclimates.

12/31/2019

Bailey Meuler is celebrating — he just graduated with a degree in horticulture! He is currently in the interview process for his first post-grad job with Lume Cannabis in Michigan. Since he was in high school, Bailey knew that he wanted to be a part of the cannabis industry, and he is hopeful that this will be the start of a long and successful career! We wish him the best of luck on his journey and we hope he keeps in touch! In the meantime, check out our Q&A with Bailey!

Plant and Soil Sciences: Was there a professor within the Soil Sciences division/Davis College that you found to be a great mentor when you were a student here? Why?
Bailey Meuler: Dr. Verlinden for sure. He was the first Davis College professor that I met at WVU during my orientation. I remember him being super excited as he had just recently officially become a U.S. citizen. Dr. V has always been there for me to help with anything from classes to life advice. He’s very much helped me grow as a student and as a person. Dr. Davis is another professor that helped guide me over the years. I always had fun in his classes and learned so much. He still is always checking in to see how I am doing with school and life. Dr. Davis is very experienced in the horticulture industry and always has awesome stories to share with us. These two have made my college experience amazing.

PSS: What is some advice you want to share with current/propsective students within the program?
BM: My biggest advice would be to build connections with your professors. We are lucky to have so many intelligent and well experienced professors that are always willing to answer questions and share knowledge. I have found that developing connections with my professors has helped me greatly, it makes it much easier to learn when your professors understand how you operate and have an idea of who you are both in and out of the classroom.

PSS: What was your favorite part about plant and soil sciences/the Davis College?
BM: My favorite part about the Davis College has to be the people. The professors are all very helpful and full of good information, and beyond that I have found them all to be great people. The students that I have had the pleasure of learning alongside are also amazing people; everyone is always looking out for each other and wanting the best for one another. The small class sizes have always given me a small school feel within such a large university which I definitely believe has helped me in my academic success over the years.

We wish Bailey the best of luck in his future! 💙💛

12/15/2019

Meet Sarah Fritch, a 2018 Environmental, Soil, and Water Science graduate! Sarah began working in the field of environmental permitting for well pads and pipelines after graduation, where she worked on wetland delineations, stream assessments, and recording bat roosting trees! Now, she lives in Ohio and is a chemical lab technician whose primary duty is running analysis on coal samples for a power company. Check out this Q&A we did with her!

Plant and Soil Sciences: Was there a professor within the Soil Sciences division/Davis College that you found to be a great mentor when you were a student here? Why?
Sarah Fritch: Well, I had many teachers that I really enjoyed. Thomas Griggs I never had for a class but helped him with research and [it] was one of my favorite memories of WVU. Charlene Kelly was a fantastic Soils Teachers, along with Jeffery Skousen! He was actually the one who inspired me to pick the Environmental, Soil, and Water Science major. James Kotcon[‘s] Environmental Assessment class was actually one of my favorite classes I had taken in four years of college! As you can see I had a hard time choosing because they were all so great!

PSS: What is some advice you want to share with current students within the program?
SF: Get into research. WVU has a lot of interesting and exciting research projects! Also, talk with you professors and take advantage of their office hours. The professors at WVU were willing to help with homework, projects, and answers questions about the field I would be working in.

PSS: What was your favorite part about plant and soil sciences/the Davis College when you were a student?
SF: The professors really make this program! I enjoyed how involved they are in their students successes and push students to achieve excellence. The classes were also very interesting and full of great information to prepare the students for the future.

12/03/2019

Jason Stewart, a 2001 Plant and Soil Sciences graduate, is a production foreman at CNX Resources, where he produces gas from Marcellus and Utica wells across the Appalachian Basin. At his first job after graduation at Marshall Miller and Associates, he was involved in hydrologic investigations on active and abandoned mine sites in West Virginia and Virginia; here, he was involved in a project where he would take water samples and pictures of the gaps growing within a valley fill's walls! At WVU, Stewart graduated with a master's of science degree in Agronomy and a specialization in Environmental Protection. In his free time, he loves to race mountain bikes, trail run, and practice archery. Check out this Q&A we did with Jason!

Plant and Soil Sciences: Was there a professor within the Soil Sciences division/Davis College that you found to be a great mentor when you were a student here? Why?
Jason Stewart: Dr. Skousen was a definitely a great mentor. In fact, he was directly responsible for helping me get my first job. He allowed me to present my research at the West Virginia Acid Mine Drainage Task Force meeting the year that I graduated. He was the moderator for my session, so he introduced me before my talk. Before he handed over the microphone though, he told an entire conference center full of potential employers that I would be graduating in a month and would be looking for a job. A few hours later I had my first job offer in hand!

PSS: What is some advice you want to share with current students within the program?
JS: Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Be versatile and be willing to do things outside of your comfort zone. It’s the only way to grow, both personally and professionally.

PSS: What was your favorite part about plant and soil sciences/the Davis College when you were a student?
JS: I always enjoyed field work, especially along Deckers Creek. I liked visiting the same spots across different seasons and seeing the changes to the ground, sky, and water.

11/24/2019

Owen Mulkeen, a 2007 Plant and Soils Sciences graduate, is the Associate Director at Friends of the Cheat, helping to budget, recruit, fundraise, and educate West Virginians about acid mine drainage construction projects, watershed monitoring, and the Cheat River Restoration Program. At WVU, Mulkeen received a bachelor's degree of Science in Environmental Protection, Soil and Water Conservation, with a minor in Environmental Microbiology. Check out this Q&A we did with him!

Plant and Soil Sciences Division: Was there a professor within the Soil Sciences division/Davis College that you found to be a great mentor when you were a student here? Why?
Owen Mulkeen: I was fortunate to have Dr. Alan Sexstone as my advisor in the Davis College. He was a family friend throughout my life, as his youngest son Graham was a close friend. When it came time to enroll in college and I knew I would be at the Davis College, he offered to be a guiding hand in my education. This certainly was a blessing and a curse as he knew me for so long before my time as Mountaineer! That close relationship gave him the opportunity to share his unabashed opinion on how to structure my time, what my weaknesses/strengths were, and what I should be aiming for in my field. Truly a unique student/advisor relationship and was very beneficial in my favor throughout my 4+ years.

PSS: What is some advice you want to share with current students within the program?
OM: I would have to say, take advantage of studying abroad for at least a semester. That was one of the most formative times in my life, not only as a student but as a person. My time at BOKU (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences) in Vienna, Austria was amazing. WVU partners with "sister schools", and all my credits transferred seamlessly while paying the same amount for tuition. You won't find too many opportunities like that later in life to become emersed in a foreign land for 6 months to a year. Check with your advisor and Exchange Program office about how you can maintain your degree's required class checklist and what schools do WVU partner with that have similar programs. BOKU was a natural science school, so it worked well with the Davis College program.

PSS: What was your favorite part about plant and soil sciences/the Davis College when you were a student?
OM: My best memories and important skills learned came from lab time. As an environmental professional, we are rooted in science-based methodology. To this day, I still sample water, analyze and interpret results, and fine-tune our approaches to reclamation in the Cheat River watershed. I have a strong memory from one of Dr. Sexstone's applied microbiology classes, which had a large lab component. For the capstone, he assigned me with trying to isolate a specific bacteria, which to my surprise was only found in 24-48 hour cow manure... So there I was, at the research farm, trying to find the freshest cow patties, all in the name of science. I never did manage to isolate that bacteria, but certainly learned a lot about how to manipulate sh*t into transferable life skills.



Friends of the Cheat

11/15/2019

Fancy some light reading? Our own Dr. Verlinden recommends this article from Smithsonian Magazine on how leaves change colors during the seasons! 🍂🍁

A new time-lapse video of over 6,000 leaf photos reveals the biology behind fall foliage