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John C. Peterson, Ph.D. - Department Head

Photo of John Peterson
Rutgers University
Bldg. 11, Rm. 230; 756-1237
drjohncp@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
Dr. Peterson has most recently served as Director of the San Francisco Botanical Garden and Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. He has also served as President and CEO of Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding California as well as the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Boston / Wellesley Massachusetts and oversaw the development of new public gardens and educational programs for both organizations. While serving as a Professor at The Ohio State University, Dr Peterson was placed on loan by the university for 5 years to organize the United States First International Flower and Garden Exposition, which was held in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Peterson currently serves as the U.S. delegate to an international committee that sanctions specialized international garden expositions that promote horticulture to the public around the globe. His research and teaching activities have been focused in the areas of plant nutrition, water quality, floriculture, tropical foliage plants and greenhouse crops as well as international issues in horticulture and crop science.


Photo of Wyatt Brown

J. Wyatt Brown, Ph.D.

Cornell University
Bldg. 11, Rm. 232; 756-6137
wbrown@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of Michael Costello

Michael Costello, Ph.D.

UC Berkeley
Bldg. 11, Rm. 221; 756-6732
mcostell@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of Tiffany Faulstich

Tiffany Faulstich

Bldg. 11, Rm. 223; 756-7650
tafaulst@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
Mrs. Faulstich is a Cal Poly alumna. She teaches classes related to the landscape industry and was a landscape contractor for 9 years prior to teaching. She is the Cal Poly liason with the San Luis Obispo chapter of the CLCA, California Landscape Contractors Association. Mrs. Faulstich also helps to coach the PLANET Student Career Days team.


Photo of Lauren Garner

Lauren C. Garner, Ph.D.

UC Riverside
Bldg. 11, Rm. 237; 756-2479
lgarner@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of David Hannings

David W. Hannings, M.S., emeritus

Cornell University
Bldg. 11, Rm. 225; 756-2219
dhanning@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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 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 Academic Senate. Specialties: Plant Propagation; Tissue Culture; Orchids; Nursery Production; Plant Materials.


Photo of David Headrick

David H. Headrick, Ph.D.

U.C. Riverside
Bldg. 11, Rm. 235; 756-5382
dheadric@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of Scott Jefferys

Scott Jeffreys

Bldg. 11, Rm. 225; 756-2219
sjeffrey@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of Jason Lewis

Jason Lewis, Ph.D.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Bldg. 11, Rm. 238; 756-2870
jlewis07@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
Dr. Jason Lewis teaches turfgrass management, golf course operations, and abiotic plant problems. He recently graduated from Kansas State University where his research focused on water use of Kentucky bluegrasses, nitrous oxide emissions from turfgrass systems, and developing a chamber to measure turfgrass carbon exchange. Dr Lewis' current research interests include sustainable turfgrass management for the California Central coast and developing new teaching strategies in the classroom. He also helps coach the PLANET Student Career Days team.


Photo of Melinda Lynch

Melinda Lynch

CA Polytechnic State University, SLO
Bldg. 11, Rm. 226; 756-7504
mlynch@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
Mrs. Lynch is a Cal Poly alumna. 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.


Photo of Keith Patterson

W. Keith Patterson, Ph.D.

University of Missouri
Bldg. 11, Rm. 251; 756-6389
kpatters@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of John Pillips

John C. Phillips, Ph.D., emeritus

Oregon State University
Bldg. 11, Rm. 233; 756-6146
jphillip@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
Dr. Phillips taught Precision Farming, Experimental Techniques and Analysis, Cropping Systems, Organic Agriculture, and Holistic Management. He supervised student enterprise projects producing organic vegetables and fruit production. 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 was active in departmental curriculum review and was instrumental in creating four interdisciplinary courses, three of which are general education courses: Specialties: Sustainable Agriculture, Organic Farming, and Holistic Management.


Photo of Rob Shortell

Robert R. Shortell, Ph.D.

Rutgers University
Bldg. 11, Rm. 220; 756-2858
rshortel@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
Dr. Robert R. Shortell is the Assistant Professor of Sustainable Landscape Horticulture here at Cal Poly, a premier horticultural teaching institution that promotes a "Learn by Doing" approach. Previously, he was the Director of Sustainable Agriculture at the Virgin Spa at Natirar, as well as a teacher and research assistant for Rutgers "The State University of New Jersey." Dr. Shortell holds a BS in Plant Science and a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Rutgers University, Cook College. His scientific research was in the area of economically-important grass breeding for increased abiotic stress tolerance in today's dynamic environment. Dr. Shortell's most influential work is in the area of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass improvement for increased heat tolerance, which has effectively extended the useful range of both grasses further south then was possible beforehand. In addition he has been influential in the development of renewable energy crops for alternative fuel sources on marginal lands. Today, Dr. Shortell focuses on reducing the footprint that man leaves on the environment through the implementation of sustainable horticultural practices here at Cal Poly. His research focuses to reduce external inputs and increase labor and irrigation efficiencies across a wide range of both popular and native landscape materials. He also enjoys teaching future professionals how to cost-effectively implement these strategies with the hopes of creating a fool-proof model for environmental stewardship in the landscape.


Photo of Virgina Walter

Virginia R. Walter, M.S.

Ohio State University
Bldg. 11, Rm. 239; 756-2897
vwalter@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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.


Photo of Jeffery Wong

Jeffrey C. Wong, Ph.D.

University of Illinois
Bldg. 11, Rm. 222; 756-2428
jcwong@calpoly.edu
Schedule for Winter Quarter, 2012
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






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