Stockbridge attracts powerhouse faculty researchers from 9 different countries, including China, France, India, Korea, Iran, Mexico, New Zealand, and Ukraine.
With worldwide demand for their talents, these top experts in plant, soil and environmental sciences choose to work at Stockbridge. The University’s generous financial investment, in labs, greenhouses and farmland, supports their ability to conduct scientific research beneficial to the whole planet.
At Stockbridge, our cutting-edge research contributes significantly to the University’s fifth year ranked as #1 in the U.S. for Agricultural Sciences.
And the active research being done by globally recognized icons at our school is attracting the newest top talents in the field.
Here’s a brief round-up of awards and honors won by Stockbridge faculty in the last two years:
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded their New Innovator Award in Soil Health to Rachel Hestrin, who recently joined Stockbridge to offer her expertise in soil-microbe interaction. She was also named as a UMass ADVANCE Faculty Fellow, representing Stockbridge on issues of faculty equity.
The Office of the Chancellor at UMass Amherst awarded the Chancellor’s Citation Award to Jason Dragon, Manager of our UMass Student Farm since 2019. See why Jason was nominated by Amanda Brown who manages the Agricultural Learning Center that hosts the student farm.
Elsa Petit was named a Faculty Fellow of the UMass Public Engagement Project, which helps UMass faculty translate their scholarship to an audience beyond academia.
The College of Natural Sciences (CNS), of which Stockbridge is a part, recognized Dan Cooley with the CNS Outstanding Service and Engagement Award. Cooley, who recently retired from his roles as Associate Director of School, and Professor of Fruit and Plant Pathology, also developed iPhone apps to assist with fruit tree production and disease management.
Sarah Berquist won the university-wide Distinguished Teaching Award, the only student-initiated campus-wide award for exemplary teaching. She was also awarded a grant from College of Natural Sciences (CNS) Lecturer’s Professional Development Fund, which she used to develop and promote her new Retail Floral Design experiential learning course.
Research.com ranked Stockbridge Director and University Distinguished Professor Baoshan Xing as a top professor, both nationally and globally. For Plant Science and Agronomy, Xing ranks #12 in the U.S. and #48 in the world. For Environmental Sciences, Xing ranks #17 in the U.S. and #28 in the world. Xing was also recognized by the University with an Affordable Education Award.
Kristina Bezanson received the Dennis P. Ryan III Award, from the New England division of International Society of Arboriculture, in recognition of her outstanding service advancing the principles, ideals, and practices of arboriculture. Dennis Ryan is a beloved colleague and former coordinator for the Stockbridge Arboriculture program.
Om Parkash Dhankher, in addition to being named a Spotlight Scholar by the University, had an outstanding year of recognitions and honors, including fellowship in three professional organizations for scientific research: the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), the International Phytotechnology Society, and India’s National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Fellowship, awarded to fewer than 1% of its members, is the highest honor bestowed by these organizations. Dhankher also received the College of Natural Sciences Outstanding Research Award.