INDUSTRY NEWS
Advanced Turf Solutions adds James Bergdoll to sales team
Advanced Turf Solutions welcomed James Bergdoll , CSFM , to its sales team . Bergdoll has a wide range of industry experience , including leadership as board member and past president of the Sports Field Management Association ( SFMA ). For the past seven and a half years , Bergdoll served as the director of park maintenance for the City of Chattanooga ( Tenn .).
Bergdoll grew up in Madison , Ind ., where he gained his first industry experience on the athletic fields at Hanover College . Bergdoll attended Purdue University , working on the athletic fields and golf courses there while earning his bachelor ’ s degree in Turfgrass Science . He went on to earn his Master in Sports and Recreation Administration from Western Kentucky University .
One of Bergdoll ’ s proudest accomplishments is overseeing the construction of the Elizabethtown Sports Park in Kentucky . His other notable experiences include working for the Indianapolis Indians , Baltimore Orioles Spring Training and National Polo Center in Florida .
“ We ’ re honored to welcome James to the ATS family ,” said Brian Winka , vice president of sports turf at Advanced Turf Solutions . “ He ’ s someone many of us have gotten to know through our industry involvement over the years , so we ’ re excited to work with him more closely now .” Bergdoll is based in Tennessee , where he will serve customers out of the ATS facility in Nashville . With vast experience in athletic fields and parks management , Bergdoll will be a valuable addition to the growing ATS network in the south .
Hutchens receives Musser Award of Excellence
Wendell Hutchens , Ph . D ., assistant professor in University of Arkansas ’ Department of Horticulture , has been named winner of the 2023 Award of Excellence by the Musser International Turfgrass Foundation .
The award is given to outstanding Ph . D . candidates who , in the final phase of their graduate studies , demonstrated overall excellence throughout their doctoral program in turfgrass research .
“ It is an unbelievable honor to receive the Musser Award of Excellence ,” said Hutchens . “ I could not have accomplished such a feat without my foundational Christian faith ; unwavering support from my wife , Anica ; my family and friends ; and the exceptional leadership of my mentors .”
Hutchens is in his first year as a faculty member in the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural , Food and Life Sciences , where he primarily focuses on turfgrass pathology . Turfgrass diseases cause massive damage and losses to sod farms , golf courses , athletic fields , parks and home lawns . His research centers around how to maintain healthy turfgrass and combat turfgrass diseases with traditional cultural and chemical practices , as well as with cutting-edge technology such as drones and GPS-guided sprayers .
He received his B . S . degree in turfgrass science from North Carolina State University and went on to complete his M . S . in turfgrass pathology from NCSU . His research there focused on the influence of postapplication irrigation and soil surfactant applications on fungicide movement and efficacy against root diseases . He earned his Ph . D . in turfgrass pathology at Virginia Tech where his dissertation focused on biology , epidemiology and management of spring dead spots of bermudagrass .
Hutchens has already published seven research papers for his M . S . and Ph . D . projects and has seven more awaiting publication on topics related to turfgrass pathology , turfgrass physiology and native grass implementation in the transition zone of the United States . He has already given more than 50 presentations on his research nationally and internationally .
“ I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a faculty member at the University of Arkansas , and I hope to expand the research , extension and teaching programs during my tenure ,” he said . “ My mentors — including Drs . David McCall , Jim Kerns , Travis Gannon , Mike Goatley , David Shew , Mizuho Nita and Mike Richardson — have been incredible to work with and learn from . Their mentorship has taught me to be a better scientist , professional and , most importantly , person .”
He hopes to focus his career on providing applied , cutting-edge research results in turfgrass pathology , precision turfgrass management and turfgrass agronomy , as well as training the next generation of turfgrass scientists .
46 SportsField Management | April 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com