OSU Horticulturist Receives University Research Honor

An Ohio State University horticulturist has been appointed to the university’s D.C. Kiplinger Endowed Chair in Floriculture in order to advance research and education and perpetuate the profitability and sustainability of the floriculture industry.

Michelle Jones, an associate professor with the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, officially began her term on Oct. 1 and will hold the position for five years. Jones fills the position left vacant when former chair Anthony “Tony” Stead fulfilled his term in 2005.

“I am extremely honored to represent Ohio State University and the floriculture industry as the D.C. Kiplinger Chair,” said Jones, a researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster. “I look forward to working closely with the industry to develop and implement research, Extension and educational programs that advance the practice and science of floriculture. It is especially crucial during these tough economic times that the funds from the D.C. Kiplinger Endowment be used to conduct basic and applied research that will improve the profitability and sustainability of the floriculture industry.”

The D.C. Kiplinger Chair was established in 1977 to honor Ohio State’s Department of Horticulture and Crop Science faculty member D.C. “Kip” Kiplinger and his 40 years of leadership and contributions to the floriculture industry. Those in the position strive to promote Ohio State floriculture research, perpetuate departmental programs and advance the national impact of university research and education.

The Ohio State University Floriculture Program is one of the premier floriculture programs in the nation, providing producers, breeders and consumers with the research, education and technical skills to improve the cultivation and management of ornamental plants. The team is made up of diverse faculty from the departments of Horticulture and Crop Science; Entomology; Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering; and Plant Pathology.

For more information on the Ohio State University Floriculture Program, visit www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/joneslab.