Welcome to the HNR Department
The people of the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources (HNR) at Kansas State University are dedicated to improving lives through dynamic, diverse education and research programs.
We are delivering the news to you! Find out what the HNR faculty, staff and students are doing and major events that are coming up. If you missed one of our news stories that you would like to review, all news stories can be found on the HNR News Page.
Hear What Our Students Say About Our Majors
Students & Faculty in the News
Ted Cable named park and recreation 'Legend'
"The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration has named Ted Cable, professor emeritus of park management and conservation a "Legend" in the field of parks and recreation. The Legend Award recognizes distinguished practitioners and scholars who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the park and recreation field." Read more...
Cathie Lavis featured in the Manhattan Mercury
"Lavis, a horticulture professor at K-State, spends much of her time working with plants in the great outdoors, and her students get hands on lessons in caring for nature..." (Photo credit: The Manhattan Mercury, Nickolas Oatley) Read more...
Brunson Receives NACTA Graduate Student Teaching Award
Michael Brunson, PhD candidate in Park Management and Conservation was recently recognized by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) with a graduate student teaching award. Read more...
Schneck Receives NACTA Graduate Student Teaching Award
Karen Schenck, M.S. student in Horticulture, recently received a North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) graduate student teaching award. Read more...
Ahlers Recognized with NACTA Educator Award
Adam Ahlers, associate professor of Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management (WOEM) and undergraduate program director in Horticulture and Natural Resources was recently recognized with North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Educator Award. Read more...
Horticulture Senior Recognized with National Intern of the Year Award
Renata Goossen's reporting on her 4-month fall internship at Green Circle Growers has resulted in national recognition as Paul Thomas Intern of the Year. Read more...
Horticulture and Natural Resources Faculty Honored with Teaching Award
Gamma Sigma Delta, an international honorary society of agriculture, is dedicated to excellence in scholarship, research, and service. Gamma Sigma Delta’s mission encourages high standards of scholarship, character, and proficiency in all branches of agricultural science and education and a high degree of excellence in the practice of agricultural pursuits.
Each year, the K-State Eta Chapter awards student and faculty awards to recognize individuals throughout the college who strive to support this mission. This year, Dr. Drew Ricketts, assistant professor in Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management received the Outstanding Teaching Award. Read more...
Graduate Student in Horticulture and Natural Resources Wins Teaching Award
Gamma Sigma Delta, an international honorary society of agriculture, is dedicated to excellence in scholarship, research, and service. Gamma Sigma Delta’s mission encourages high standards of scholarship, character, and proficiency in all branches of agricultural science and education and a high degree of excellence in the practice of agricultural pursuits.
The K-State Eta Chapter awards student and faculty awards each year to recognize individuals throughout the college who strive to support this mission. Karen Schneck, a Master’s student was selected to receive the Gamma Sigma Delta M.S Graduate Student Teaching Award. Read more...
Horticulture and Natural Resources Graduate Student Receives Teaching Award
Gamma Sigma Delta, an international honorary society of agriculture, is dedicated to excellence in scholarship, research, and service. Gamma Sigma Delta’s mission encourages high standards of scholarship, character, and proficiency in all branches of agricultural science and education and a high degree of excellence in the practice of agricultural pursuits.
Each year, the K-State Eta Chapter recognizes student and faculty with awards throughout the college, who strive to support this mission. Ph.D. student, Tej Man Tamang, was selected to receive the Gamma Sigma Delta Ph. D. Graduate Student Teaching Award. Read more...
Miller Awarded the University Presidential Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Dr. Chad Miller, associate professor in the Horticulture and Natural Resources Department was recently awarded the Presidential Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Award nominations are solicited from students, faculty and administrators and made at the college level. All faculty in undergraduate programs eligible for the award and nominees are submitted by department heads to the dean of the college in which the teacher is appointed. Each dean may submit one nominee from their college.
Dr. Miller teaches several courses in the department, including landscape plants identification courses, plant propagation, co-teaches the department orientation course, along with international study abroad experiences. In addition, he advises undergraduate students, co-advises the department Horticulture Club, and Pi Alpha Xi, an honorary horticulture society.
When asked what he enjoys about teaching, Miller noted that he has always liked learning and assisting others with their learning pursuits, especially about plants and horticulture! He said teaching is also very rewarding as he gets to know the students and is able to observe their progress over the course of a semester and their time at K-State, especially since he has the opportunity to interact with the students in multiple courses and as advisees. Dr. Miller works to continually improve his teaching through trying new techniques or ways of teaching concepts in the classroom. Those ideas and techniques come from attending conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars, reading other published teaching work, etc. There are a lot of great teachers in the College of Agriculture and at K-State and he has learned a lot from them. He truly appreciates the support and importance put on teaching here at K-State. Read more...
Tommy King Receives Prestigous Scholarship
For more than 50 years, the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association has supported the turf industry through scholarships and internship grants. Tommy King, a senior at Kansas State University from Kansas City, Kan., was one of the three scholarship recipients who received the maximum amount of $7,500.
“This scholarship motivates me about my future and the decisions I make as I build a career for myself,” King said. “I am truly thankful for the financial and emotional support this scholarship provides.”King’s passion for turf management began when he was 16 years old. The rising high school junior took a summer job at Shadow Glen Golf Club in Olathe, Kan. At first, raking bunkers and filling divots didn’t move the needle; however, King quickly saw the value in golf course management. “I stuck with it,” King said. “When you work on a golf course you see the fruits of your labor every single day and I really enjoy that.”
King will graduate in May of 2020 and aspires to become an assistant in training at a golf course in Kansas City with the hopes of one day becoming a golf course superintendent. “I’ve been told the challenge is managing people,” King said. “I haven’t really struggled with the education part of turf management. The challenge for me is people management and personal growth. I want a chance at that challenge.” Read more...
