TPI’s 2021 Growing Forward Virtual Series is just around the corner. We’re thrilled to bring you quality education in turfgrass from the comforts of your office. This year’s slate of speakers is one of a kind. Here’s a closer look at some of our industry experts you will hear from.

TPI Virtual Series Speakers

Dr. Casey Reynolds
Dr. Casey Reynolds is the Executive Director at Turfgrass Producers International, a non-profit trade association representing the turfgrass production industry. He received his PhD from North Carolina State University in 2013 before moving to College Station Texas to join the turfgrass program faculty at Texas A&M University. He is an avid supporter of the natural grass industry and all of the many benefits it brings to urban and suburban environments worldwide.

You can hear Dr. Reynolds speak Feb 17 at 10am about TPI Government Relations Impacting the Sod Industry.

Dr. Marco A Palma
Dr. Marco A Palma is Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. Dr Palma is a Texas A&M Presidential Impact Fellow. His areas of interest are consumer economics, food choices, experimental and behavioral economics and neuroeconomics. Dr Palma is the Director of the Human Behavior Laboratory (http://hbl.tamu.edu), a transdisciplinary facility that integrates state of the art technology to measure biometric and neurophysiological responses of human decision making. The HBL aims to facilitate the integration of neurophysiological responses to traditional methods of studying human behavior in the social sciences. Specifically, it provides access to state-of-the-art equipment to simultaneously collect psychophysiological data, including eye tracking, facial expression analysis to assess human emotions, neural signals (electroencephalography), galvanic skin response (GSR) heart and respiration rates through integrated stimulus presentation platforms.

You can hear Dr. Palma speak Feb 17 at 1pm about Housing and Economy.

Dr. Jay McCurdy
Dr. Jay McCurdy is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at Mississippi State University. He received a B.S. from the University of Tennessee-Martin, a M.S. from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and a Ph.D. from Auburn University. He has worked as a golf course superintendent, sod farmer, and private consultant. His research interests include turfgrass weed ecology and management, herbicide resistance, pesticide fate, and wildlife habitat inclusion within urban environments. He teaches and advises students studying Weed Science and Turfgrass Management. He has authored 25+ peer-reviewed publications as well as numerous trade and Extension articles. He serves as editor for the Mississippi Turfgrass Magazine and as Associate Editor of several society Journals. In cooperation with state and regional colleagues, he has developed new and novel teaching and outreach programs, including the Deep South Turfgrass Expo and the MSU-Extension Sustainable Home Lawn Management Program.

You can hear Dr. McCurdy speak Feb 18 at 11am about Weed Control for Warm Season Grasses.

Dr. Matt Elmore
Dr. Matt Elmore is as an Assistant Extension Specialist in Weed Science at Rutgers University. His program at Rutgers focuses on novel strategies to control weeds with fewer pesticide inputs. Prior to joining Rutgers, Matt was a Turfgrass Extension Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife in Dallas, TX and earned his MS and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee.

You can hear Dr. Elmore speak Feb 17 at 1pm about Weed Control for Cold Season Grasses.

Dr. Ariana Torres
Dr. Torres’ research focuses on the decision-making processes of specialty crop farmers, along with the use of digital marketing technologies among industry stakeholders. Her expertise includes the economic modeling of adoption of new technologies, the development of decision-making tools for specialty crop growers, and the economic impact of growers decision-making processes. Her research provides relevant research-based information to her extension program, Horticulture Business (www.hort.purdue.edu/hortbusiness) to provide trainings and publications to farmers, business owners, Extension personnel, and policymakers.

You can hear Dr. Torres speak Feb 18 & 19 at 11am about Social Media.

Dr. Bill Withers
Dr. Bill Withers has nearly three decades of management and leadership experience in both business and education, and he is a two-time presenter at the International Conference on Business in Honolulu. [Which is where he fell in love with his “Aloha shirts” he sometimes wears!]

Bill has both studied and served organizations such as Proctor & Gamble, Ritz-Carlton, Disney, Four Seasons, Starbucks, and Southwest Airlines, and he was a contributing writer to three books in the areas of leadership and customer service.

After an early career working in media and marketing, Bill spent 20 years in higher education, training, and development at Wartburg College where he was recently awarded Faculty Emeritus-status by their board upon his recent retirement there.

Today Bill serves on the executive leadership team at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa, the largest mainline protestant church of its type in all of North America.

Dr. Withers continues to specialize in the areas of public relations, customer service, organizational change, and leadership.

You can hear Dr Withers speak Feb 17 at 11am & 1pm.

Register Now

Register for TPI’s Growing Forward Virtual Series today to hear these great speakers. You’ll also have that chance to attend discussion groups and bid on some spectacular items in our online TLI Auction. Don’t forget to stay with us on February 16^th and 18^th to meet with our sponsors during our virtual field day. You can register here!