MSU begins search for Joe Vargas professorship in turfgrass pathology position

At this year’s Michigan State University (MSU) and Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF) Field Day held on Aug. 14, Wei Zhang, Ph.D., MSU interim chairperson of plant, soil and microbial sciences department, shared that the candidate search for the Joe Vargas professorship in turfgrass pathology has begun.

Joe Vargas, Ph.D. (Photo: Kevin Frank)

Industry legend Joe Vargas, Ph.D., passed away on April 18, 2024, following a long illness. Vargas’s legacy included more than 50 years at MSU as a professor of turfgrass pathology. He won the USGA Green Section Award in 2007 and the Morley Award from the GCSAA in 1997.

At the event, Zhang thanked the MTF for its leadership gift of $1 million, which provided the impetus for the position and the foresight the foundation had in continuing its support of the MSU turf program. Kevin Frank, Ph.D., current MSU turf professor, will chair the search committee. Other committee members include Emily Merewitz-Holm, Ph.D., Jan Byrne, Ph.D., Tim Miles, Ph.D., and George Sundin, Ph.D.

MSU officially approved the candidate search on Aug. 5. The review and selection process will take several months, with an anticipated start date by the fall of 2025.

Previous PSM Chairperson Brian Horgan, Ph.D., advocated for this position in the MSU turf program. He expressed that the turf industry and the MTF can provide input and actively participate during the search process.

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