Research Experience + Summer Job = Greener Pastures for Turfgrass Students
By Lisa R. Baldi
Undergraduate students majoring in Turfgrass Science can begin their education at Penn State Berks in what is referred to as a “2 + 2” program (first two years at Berks, the third and fourth years at University Park or World Campus). At Penn State Berks, Dr. Michael Fidanza, Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences, takes not only his teaching and research duties seriously, but also his advising responsibilities, stating, “I help students navigate through course selection and sequence, but more importantly I like to think of myself as their ‘career coach.’ It is important for students to gain valuable work experience or ‘experiential learning’ for two main reasons: (1) to put classroom learning into practice and find out if they really want a career in this segment of the green industry, and (2) to network and develop contacts that will help them land that first great opportunity after
they graduate from Penn State.”
Fidanza has a diverse network of green industry and agricultural/environmental science contacts who are willing to offer students summer work experience, which they can turn into research experience. “Every year, in early May, I get calls from companies looking to hire my students for the summer, but unfortunately they are too late because all my advisees already have jobs by then. I encourage my advisees to start looking for that summer job at the start of the fall semester in September–the earlier the better!”
Andrew Dooley, a Penn State alumnus and golf course superintendent at Berkshire Country Club in Reading, Pennsylvania, called Fidanza looking for turf students to hire for the summer who could take charge of evaluating grass species that would work best at that location. Fidanza tries to match the personality and career goals of the student with the job, and so he recommended Shannon Horn. It was a good fit: As a result of his hard work and dedication, Horn was the first recipient of the Turf Equipment and Supply Company Scholarship, provided to a Turfgrass Science student at Penn State Berks and funded by the Turf Equipment and Supply Company, located in Jessup, Maryland.
Not all summer jobs are located in Pennsylvania. Former Penn State Berks student Will McNeil worked at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The golf course superintendent called Fidanza looking for a turf student, and he had McNeil in mind. “Will needed to live and work away from home for the summer, to see if he really wanted to be in this business,” Fidanza explains.
“Dr. Fidanza encouraged me to leave Pennsylvania for the summer and work at Quail Hollow,” McNeil states. “The first week I was there, I was on TV raking bunkers (during the Wells Fargo PGA Tournament).” For his research project, he evaluated heat and traffic stress on putting greens. As a result, McNeil has excelled academically and even worked at the famous Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, which hosted the 2013 U.S. Open.
Although many turf students work on golf courses, several others work on athletic fields. Ryan Hillert was a Penn State Berks student originally from New York City (Brooklyn borough), and he gained valuable sports turf experience by working on the grounds crew at CitiField, home of the New York Mets and host location for the 2013
MLB All-Star Game. Hillert evaluated various moisture contents of the clay infield mixes to determine the best mix.
Meanwhile, Logan Wetzel started his Turfgrass Science degree at Penn State Berks, and worked at Volunteer Stadium at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he managed a crew and designed the field’s mowing pattern after many experimental tests. Another Penn State Berks student, Evan Fowler, worked on the grounds crew of the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri. While attending Penn State Berks, both Wetzel and Fowler worked at the Reading Phillies under the guidance of Dan Douglas, Penn State alumnus and Grounds Manager for the Reading Phillies.
Fidanza has placed students with the Minnesota Vikings, and the Lancaster Country Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, Lebanon Country Club, Merion Golf Club, Bidermann Golf Club, and many others.
“I expect my advisees to excel in the classroom, and also excel in their summer jobs in terms of learning as much as possible, being responsible and professional, and representing Penn State University and Penn State Berks” states Fidanza. To him, advising students means more than just picking classes; it also includes helping students to select a summer job where they can gain work and research experience, choose a career, and sow the seeds for a successful future.