Bayer CropScience Accepting Applications for the Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow Plant Health Academy

A little late to this one today as I was on the golf course all morning... but here ya go:

Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, today announced that it is accepting applications from GCSAA Class A and superintendent members through June 5 for the inaugural Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow Plant Health Academy. The Academy is the first of four Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow educational opportunities available to superintendents since Bayer launched the program in collaboration with the GCSAA’s Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG) earlier this year.

The Academy’s two-part immersive plant health curriculum will involve in-the-field training at the Bayer Training and Development Center in Clayton, N.C. (September 25-27), and classroom training at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence, Kan. (March 3-5, 2014). Twelve GCSAA members will be selected based on merit to participate in the Academy, with travel, accommodations and meals paid for by the Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow program.

Golembiewski leaves Oregon State, joins Bayer

There have been rumblings of this today, but now it is official. Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., director of Oregon State's turf program, has accepted a position with Bayer CropScience. Golembiewski made the announcement publicly this afternoon via an email sent to all the members of the Oregon GCSA.

The email reads as follows:

Golembiewski will begin his new position with Bayer on April 2nd.

This is an email that I thought I would never be writing. Before you start hearing rumors, I wanted to let all of you know that I have been offered and accepted a new position with Bayer CropScience.  I will be serving as the Technical Service Specialist for the Midwest Region working out of my home in Columbus, Ohio. This is an amazing opportunity for me and my family to get back to the Midwest and closer to my 8 siblings and their families in Michigan. I plan to start my new position April 2nd and will be working out of my home in Philomath until approximately June 1st.

Please let me express that this is the most difficult decision that I have ever had to make professionally but for those who know me understand how important family is to me. I can’t overstate how appreciative I am for the support and friendship you have provided me over the past four years. I believe with all my heart that the OSU Turf Program is the preeminent turf program on the West Coast and it was made possible by each and every one of you.

Frank Wong talks about the difficulty of being at a state university

I interviewed Frank Wong, Ph.D., recently about his move from UC Riverside to Bayer.

Here's a good soundbite from our interview regarding the troubles turf schools are facing these days:

"The current conditions with state turf programs does not look good. Most of the schools out there that do agricultural research, the land grant institutions, have always had a significant amount of state and federal funding to support the programs. And that’s the only way you can do it. Now, (dang it), everyone is broke. There’s just the revenue from taxes -- things like that aren’t footing the bill anymore. Federal funding to schools have basically flatlined in the last ten years… all of the inputs have basically flatlined while your costs are going up. Overall it’s getting harder and harder for university programs to do what they want to do."

Look for more from Wong soon!

Wong joins Bayer as technical service specialist

It was announced today that Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, has named Dr. Frank P. Wong as its Technical Service Specialist for the northern fungicide business of the U.S.

With more than 15 years of plant pathology experience, Dr. Wong will bring his expertise to the technical and research and development team for the fungicide business.

“We are excited to add Dr. Wong to the Bayer team as he brings an incredible depth of knowledge in plant pathology,” said Laurence Mudge, Technical Services Manager, Environmental Science. “Frank’s insight and experience from his prior research and extension responsibilities will be a valuable asset as Bayer continues to develop and commercialize leading chemistries.”

Prior to joining Environmental Science, Wong served as Associate Specialist in cooperative extension and as a plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside. Golfdom last reported on Wong in our March 2011 issue (“Cal-Riverside Halts Diagnostics Lab”), when it was announced on March 7, 2011, that the turf diagnostics lab services was being shut down at UC Riverside. “For 2011 we will try to reorganize under a new business plan to meet the diagnostic lab needs of the industry, and relaunch the service under a different model as soon as we can,” Wong said at the time in a letter to the industry.

Wong has also served as the American Phytopathological Society’s subject matter expert for the Environmental Protection Agency, providing information on plant diseases and disease management. Wong received his doctorate in plant pathology from Cornell University and his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. He is currently based in Washington, D.C. and can be reached via email at frank.wong@bayer.com.

“Bayer is an innovative organization that is always on the leading edge of research and development. I look forward to the opportunity to enhance and further develop the Bayer reputation as a leader in science,” Dr. Wong said in a press release from Bayer.

Places to be: the Bayer booth

Here is what I've heard from the Bayer folks:

On Thursday, Feb. 10th, Bayer will launch it's first natural product and a revolutionary way to deal with nematodes... a product called NORTICA.

That morning (sorry, press only, but don't worry, we'll be there!) Billy Crow, landscape nematologist, University of Florida, will share his latest research on nematodes and observations of Nortica... then Cynthia Gigandet, insecticide marketing product manager, and Richard Rees, product development team leader, will answer questions regarding the development of Nortica's development and use.

I know you can't make it for the press-only session from Bayer, but don't worry... your pals at Golfdom have you covered! And then stop by the Bayer booth Thursday afternoon to hear some of this information for yourself!

(Have some info to share regarding your GIS booth? It's not too late to email Seth at sjones@questex.com with this info! And if you've already emailed him with this info, now is the time to double-check with him that he actually plans to RUN IT!!!)