MSU turf students expand skills through spring internships
PROFILE
MSU turf students expand skills through spring internships
By Beth Bonsall
Presented with the unique challenges caused by COVID-19 , Michigan State University ( MSU ) turf faculty in the Department of Plant , Soil and Microbial Sciences ( PSM ) and the Institute of Agricultural Technology ( IAT ) collaborated on a solution that could potentially benefit students , alumni and the golf industry .
Called “ The Experiment ” from the start , Professor John “ Trey ” Rogers III , Ph . D ., approached Brian Horgan , Ph . D ., professor and chair of PSM , with the idea of finding turfgrass internships outside of Michigan starting in January 2021 . With MSU classes continuing in remote formats , this would be a way for students to learn on premise at actual golf facilities while also taking online courses .
Discussions began in October 2020 and moved quickly . Rogers knew the facilities that had the resources to accommodate students , as well as the willingness to experiment with MSU . Many of Rogers ’ industry connections are also MSU turf alumni who understand the value of in-person learning experiences .
“ We needed nine golf facilities , and I made nine phone calls ,” Rogers said . “ I wasn ’ t giving them much time to react to this . All these superintendents said they ’ d take as many students as we wanted to send their way .”
During the spring 2021 semester , 16 turf students were matched and arrived at golf courses in Arizona , California , Florida and Texas . Turf students were part of the crop and soil sciences undergraduate program and the IAT golf course turf management certificate program .
“ That ’ s really a testament to the alumni who have come out of this program ,” Horgan said . “ They realize that this is an experiment , but they trust Michigan State and they trust the faculty here . We ’ re trying something new and novel , and it might have some legs .”
STEADY BUSINESS Typically , MSU coordinates compressed internships for students starting April 1 , but having the students start in January , or in some cases even earlier , helped golf facilities this year as business in many states has been booming . Golfing has been viewed as a safe outdoor activity people could participate in while social distancing , so demand has remained steady throughout the pandemic .
File photo of a turf class led by Professor John “ Trey ” Rogers III , Ph . D ., ( second from the left ) at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center on the campus of Michigan State University .
“ The labor market right now in the golf industry is really tight ,” Horgan said . “ Trey ’ s idea became really well timed . These golf courses are looking for high-quality students , and Michigan State has that reputation .”
John Nachreiner , director of agronomy , Shady Canyon Golf Club , Irvine , Calif ., had two student interns at his course this spring . Nachreiner graduated from the MSU turf program in 2000 , and appreciates how important internships are for both students and golf facilities .
“ We are happy to interact with young students who are ready to put their knowledge to work ,” he said . “ Additionally , when an intern comes , then everyone on the team ups their game because they remember when they were interns . It brings up the collective game of everybody no matter what their position is .”
LEARNING , THEN DOING For the spring 2021 internships , MSU faculty worked with participating golf course superintendents on what to expect and how they could help coordinate on-site work and labs with students ’ in-class learning .
Students took four classes in addition to fulltime internships at their respective golf courses . Three classes were on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and one class was asynchronous . This enabled students to learn first and then apply that knowledge in areas including turf equipment maintenance , grass planting , turf grooming , irrigation system calibration and pesticide and fertilizer application .
IAT student Trevor Stahl caught the turf bug after studying finance and interning with a financial planning company during his junior year . He realized finance wasn ’ t the right career direction for him . Stahl took a year off from school before discovering the two-year IAT certificate program .
18 SportsField Management | June 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com