J. Wyatt Brown, Ph.D. 
Cornell University 
11-232, 756-6137, wbrown@calpoly.edu
website
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Dr. Brown is the Assistant Department Head for Horticulture and Crop Science.  He teaches Post-harvest Technology of Horticulture Crops and courses in vegetable crop production.  Dr. Brown's research interests center on pre-cut fruits and vegetables. He has recently conducted or is conducting research involving broccoli and cauliflower florets, sliced green onions, pre-cut artichokes, sweet potatoes, apples and lemons, whole strawberries and chopped cilantro.  His most recent research involves characterizing and testing biodegradable films for packaging.-Top

Michael Costello, Ph.D.
UC Berkeley
11-221, 756-6732, mcostell@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009


 

Dr. Costello teaches Insect Pest Management, Pest Management in Coastal Winegrapes and Agricultural Chemical and Equipment Safety. His specializations are in Grape pest management, spiders in agriculture, cover cropping, plant-insect interactions, insect response to plant water status, spider mites, and agroecosystem management for control of insect pests. His current research includes cultural practices for integrating arthropod pest management with improvements in grape and wine quality, identifying environmental variables that influence the severity of Pierce's disease and the Glassy-winged sharpshooter, and interaction among weeds, ants and obscure mealybug in Central Coast vineyards. -Top

Lauren C. Garner, Ph.D.
UC Riverside
11-223, 756-2479, lgarner@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

 

Dr. Garner teaches California Fruit Growing, Citrus and Avocado Fruit Production and Pomology. Her current research interests include the physiology and production of avocado and citrus. Other teaching and research interests include whole-plant physiology, plant growth regulation, plant responses to stress and experimental design. -Top

David W. Hannings, M.S.
Cornell University
11-238, 756-2870, dhanning@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009 

Mr. Hannings teaches Plant Materials, Plant Propagation, and Abiotic Plant Problems. He was twice a visiting fellow at the Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture (part of the University of Melbourne) in Australia. He has written two text books which are used in the department's Plant Materials classes, and the one used in the Abiotic Plant Problems class.  He is a member of several professional organizations including the American Horticulture Society, the American Orchid Society, the American Society for Horticultural Science, the California Association of Nurseryman, and is past president of the Western Region of the International Plant Propagators Society, and past board member of their International Board of Directors. He is past president of the Cal Poly faculty senate, and is chair of the university curriculum committee. Specialties: Plant Propagation; Tissue Culture; Orchids; Nursery Production; Plant Materials.  -Top

David H. Headrick, Ph.D.
U.C. Riverside
11-246, 756-5382, dheadric@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Dr. Headrick teaches Insect Pest Management, Advanced Pest Management, Biological Control of Insects, and Vertebrate Pest Management.  He has special interest in general entomology and the biological control of insect and weed pests in a variety of agroecosystems. -Top

Scott Jeffreys
756-2224 sjeffrey@calpoly.edu
FRSC 123
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Scott Jeffreys is a lecturer in the Horticulture and Crop Science Department where he teaches FRSC 123, Beekeeping and also supervises a Beekeeping Enterprise Project. -Top

Daniel E. Lassanske, M.S.
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
48-000, 756-2722, dlassans@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Professor Lassanske is a Cal Poly alumnus. He currently teaches courses in Retailing Horticultural Products, Nursery Production and Environmental Horticulture. He is active with the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers Organization, and serves on two committees. He has been the recipient of Cal Poly's Meritorious Teaching Award, the Petoseed Agricultural Faculty Award, and the Advisor of the Year Award. Mr. Lassanske's professional consulting includes working with garden centers on personnel management and marketing strategies. In addition, he has an interest in the seed industry, perennial and bedding plant production. He continues to be a co-coach for the Associated Landscape Contractors of America student competition team which has won first place nationally on a regular basis. -Top

Melinda Lynch
CA Polytechnic State University, SLO
11-112A, 756-7504, mlynch@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Mrs. Lynch is a Cal Poly Alumnus. She teaches our floral design classes offered in our department. She is the advisor to the Gordon Student Chapter of AIFD (SAIFD). She coaches the National Floral Design teams for SAIFD and Flower Judging. She was inducted to AIFD in 2002. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the California Floral Association. -Top

Duane Morris
756-7504 rmorris@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Duane Morris teaches classes in Landscape Design, Computer Graphics, and Presentation Techniques.  He is active in professional landscape organizations on both the state and national level. He is a member and past president of the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) and certified member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), having served on their board of directors for two years. Mr. Morris is a licensed landscape contractor in California, consults for Garden Graphics, a Canadian developer of landscape design/build software, and has served on the city of San Luis Obispo’s Architectural Review Committee. He is an advisor to the Horticulture and Crop Science Department’s Landscape Industry Club (LIC). Specialties: Residential and Advanced Landscape Design; Computer Applications for Landscape Horticulture and Communication Techniques for Horticulture. -Top

George Newell, M.S.
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
11-237, 756-2150, gnewell@calpoly.edu
EHS 122
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Mr. Newell teaches Parks Planning and Management, Turf Management, Plant Materials Identification, Fundamentals of Horticulture, and Field Studies. His achievements include holding a Pest Control Advisor's license, membership in the California Landscape Contractors Association, and the Central Coast Pesticide Applicators Professional Association Committee on Continuing Education. He is co-coach of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America Student Landscape Competition Team. -Top

W. Keith Patterson, Ph.D.
University of Missouri
11-220, 756-6389, kpatters@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

 

Dr. Patterson teaches courses related to the viticulture curriculum. He currently teaches Vineyard Development, Introduction to Viticulture, Advanced Viticulture, and Pest Management in Coastal Vineyards. Specialties: Grapes; Trellis/Training; Rootstocks; Other Small Fruits. -Top

John C. Phillips, Ph.D.
Oregon State University
11-233, 756-6146, jphillip@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Dr. Phillips teaches Precision Farming, Experimental Techniques and Analysis, Cropping Systems, Organic Agriculture, and Holistic Management.  He supervises student enterprise projects producing organic vegetables and fruit. Dr. Phillips is interested in field and vegetable crop production, agroecology, and sustainability of agriculture and society.  He is one of the founders of the Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium in the College of Agriculture.  He is active in departmental curriculum review and has been instrumental in creating four interdisciplinary courses, three of which are general education courses. Specialties: Sustainable Agriculture, Organic Farming, Holistic Management. -Top

Robert P. Rice, Ph.D.
Michigan State University
11-251, 756-2830, rrice@calpoly.edu
PPSC 427
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Dr. Rice teaches Disease and Pest Control Systems, Plant Materials, and Tropical Crops classes and is the advisor to the Environmental Horticultural Science Club and the American Society for Horticultural Science Judging Team. . He is the author of three international horticulture textbooks, a Spanish-English agricultural dictionary and other professional books. He has worked extensively on development projects in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean and operates an international consulting firm. His interests include physical fitness, gardening, travel, and international development processes. Specialties: Integrated Pest Management; Plant Materials, and Tropical Horticulture. -Top

Virginia R. Walter, M.S.
Ohio State University
11-244, 756-2897, vwalter@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Professor Walter teaches Horticulture Fundamentals, Floriculture Grades & Standards, Greenhouse Environment, Cut Flower Production and Potted Plant Production. She is advisor to Pi Alpha Xi, and coach of the Cal Poly Flower Judging Team, winning the Woody Kalin Award in 1993, 1994, and 1995 for coaching a national championship team. She is advisor to the FFA State Finals Floriculture Contest and advisor for numerous agriculture enterprise projects. She is a Fulbright scholar and is involved in various research projects involving floriculture crops. She is developing a CD-ROM to augment the greenhouse environment class. She is an active member of the American Society for Horticultural Science and a past working group chair. She is a member of the California Ornamental Research Federation Planning Board. Specialties: Greenhouse Production; Floriculture; Energy Conservation; Growing Media; Growth Regulators; Flower Judging. -Top

Jeffrey C. Wong, Ph.D.
University of Illinois
11-223, 756-2428, jcwong@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Dr. Wong is teaching an introductory class and laboratory in genetics and is currently conducting genetic research with Stanford University. "The techniques and experimental approach I use can be applied to many plant species. Crop and vegetable species grown on the Central Coast could be used to prove the link between the basic science concepts and the field application," Wong explains. He also wants to design and teach a laboratory techniques class. The course would use the newest technologies to differentiate plant DNAs to help select genes that would provide the best plant types for cultivation.  Dr. Wong -Top

Terry L. Vassey, Ph.D.
University of Missouri
11-246, 756-2858, tvassey@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Spring Quarter, 2009

Dr. Vassey, originally from Atlanta, teaches courses primarily in turfgrass, landscape and golf course management and is the advisor for the Cal Poly Turf Club. His research interests are in sustainable turfgrass management, environmental stewardship, native and ornamental grass establishment and management and golf course management practices. He is associated with many turfgrass and golf course organizations and contributes often to their educational efforts.
-Top

Staff

Main Office,  756-2279
Trish Lyons,  756-1237,  plyons@calpoly.edu
Shirley Beaumonte,  756-2994,  sbeaumon@calpoly.edu
Ellen Brack,  756-2995,  ebrack@calpoly.edu
Paul DeCarli,  756-2904,  pdecarli@calpoly.edu
Launnie Ginn,  756-2249,  llginn@calpoly.edu
Jim Matheny,  756-2432,  jmatheny@calpoly.edu
Maria Murrietta,  756-6781,  mmurriet@calpoly.edu