By Brittaney Mann
U of A System Division of Agriculture
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation presented its 2023 Musser Award of Excellence to horticulture researcher Wendell Hutchens for his graduate-level contributions to the turfgrass industry.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE — The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation presented its prestigious award to Wendell Hutchens, assistant professor of turfgrass science. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to receive such a prestigious award,” said Hutchens, assistant professor of turfgrass science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Receiving the Musser Award of Excellence is and always will be a major highlight of my career.”
The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation Award of Excellence is given to outstanding Ph.D. candidates who, in the final phase of their graduate studies, demonstrate overall excellence throughout their doctoral program in turfgrass research, according to the organization’s website.
The criteria for selecting award recipients include graduate work, academic record, dissertation, publications, leadership and extracurricular activities.
Hutchens conducts applied research on turfgrass diseases for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture. Hutchens also conducts outreach work through the division’s Cooperative Extension Service and has a teaching appointment in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.
His current research plans include incorporating technology such as drones and GPS-guided autonomous sprayers into turfgrass pest management, expanding on work he did for his doctoral thesis research at Virginia Tech University.
“I am beyond thankful to every single person who helped me along the way –– I have been so blessed in my career to be surrounded by such supportive and encouraging people,” Hutchens said. “This award is also a tip of the cap to them.”
He also works closely in research and teaching with Mike Richardson, professor of horticulture, who expressed joy that Hutchens is a faculty member in the department.
“We are so excited to have Wendell on our faculty, and this award just confirms that we now have one of the top young turf scientists in the nation at the University of Arkansas System,” Richardson said. “Wendell is already making a big impact in our program and around the state, and I look forward to watching him grow as a national and international scholar.”
The standards are rigorous for the doctoral candidates who seek the award, Musser International Turfgrass Foundation president, Frank Dobie, said in a press announcement of the award.
“We strive to select the one candidate that we feel is the best of the best and, this year, that was Dr. Hutchens,” Dobie said.
Hutchens received his bachelor’s degree in turfgrass management in 2015 and a plant pathology master’s degree in 2018, both from North Carolina State University. He received his doctorate in plant pathology from Virginia Tech University in 2022.
“Being in the turfgrass industry has been an absolute joy,” Hutchens said. “This industry is made up of some of the most genuine and kind people I have ever met, and it has afforded me opportunities like the Musser Award of Excellence. For that, I am grateful to be a part of it.”
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.