Kimberly Williams, PhD

Biography

Growing up as a self-described “hybrid farm-kid,” Dr. Kim Williams was raised in Great Bend, Kansas, but assisted her family on her grandparents’ farm. She graduated from Kansas State University with her B. S. in Horticulture in 1988, then completed graduate work at North Carolina State University in 1995, earning M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with Dr. Paul Nelson. Williams’ first position was as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois until 1997 when she returned to Kansas State University as a member of the faculty. She has a 60% teaching and 40% research appointment, and was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2006. In 2010, she was recognized as University Distinguished Teaching Scholar.

Dr. Williams’ classes provide extensive opportunities for hands-on crop production in greenhouses. In HORT 570 Greenhouse Operations Management, her students produce poinsettias and grow crops hydroponically. In HORT 600 Herbaceous Crop Production, students produce annuals and perennials for the KSU campus and KSU Gardens. In HORT 625 Floral Crops Production and Handling, students grow fresh flowers used in the department's floral design class.

Williams expertise on plant production in controlled environment structures has resulted in her giving invited presentations around the U.S. and Canada, and she is currently co-authoring a book about Water and Nutrient Management for Floral Crops. She focuses her research on solving greenhouse industry problems.

Williams really enjoys advising 25 to 30 students who are specializing in crop production disciplines and enjoys linking them to national floriculture industry scholarships and awards; her students have been awarded over $100,000 in industry scholarships during the past decade.

Dr. Williams and her family enjoy traveling, and they visit greenhouse operations at every opportunity. She stays active with her young daughter and does her best to keep up on current events when she is not on the job.

Education

• Ph.D. Horticulture, North Carolina State University (1995)
• M.S. Horticulture, North Carolina State University (1991)
• B.S. Horticulture, Kansas State University (1988)

Research

Dr. Kim Williams' areas of emphases in Horticulture focus on topics related to crop production in protected environments, water and nutrient management during greenhouse production, and floriculture crops. She teaches four undergraduate courses in these subjects, advises undergraduate students who specialize in crop production disciplines, and conducts applied research projects that help solve the problems of today's greenhouse industry.

Dr. Williams’ research projects focus primarily on water and nutrient management for floriculture crops. She is currently studying the physiological disorder edema, organic versus conventional fertilization of greenhouse crops, and use of clays in soilless root media for their attributes of water and nutrient retention. Dr. Williams also studies the teaching and learning process in higher education in horticulture.