UF Student Wins SNA's Undergraduate Research Award

Contact: Emily Eubanks, Communications Coordinator (eee@ufl.edu)

Sources: Tom Yeager, Professor of Horticulture (yeagert@ufl.edu)

October 12, 2007

ATLANTA, Ga. – Michelle Leonard won the 2007 Bryson James Student Competition and was recognized at the Southern Nursery Association’s Research Conference in Atlanta on August 9. The competition recognizes students each year for outstanding research and Leonard was the undergraduate recipient. Leonard’s research presentation was titled “Response of Croton and Coco Plum to Phosphorus.” Leonard is a sophomore majoring in environmental horticulture at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences location in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. She is working with Dr. Tom Yeager, UF/IFAS environmental horticulture professor, on a project being conducted at Parrish Nursery in Ft. Lauderdale. The research is funded by the National Foliage Foundation and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and is looking at ways to help nursery plant producers reduce phosphorus runoff. Dr. Michael Orfanedes from the Broward County Extension Education Division is project cooperator. Leonard competed against four other undergraduate students from southeastern universities to win this award. She wrote a paper and gave an oral presentation about her research to win the competition. Leonard won $600 and received a plaque.

About UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture

UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture strives to enhance people's lives through the proper selection, propagation, growth, placement, management and use of plants in interior and exterior surroundings. The Environmental Horticulture department consists of eight teaching/research locations and 67 extension locations. For more information about environmental horticulture, visit http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu.

Environmental Horticulture

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Gainesville, FL 32611-0670

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