Cornell SIPS Earns Top Honors at ASHS Annual Meeting

By Blake Jackson

Faculty and students from the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) earned multiple honors at the 2025 Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), held July 28-August 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Professor Marvin Pritts, of the Horticulture Section, received the Outstanding Undergraduate Educator Award. Pritts, who recently stepped down as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Plant Sciences major, was recognized for his exceptional teaching and mentorship.

Plant Sciences undergraduate Julianna Rose was named one of ASHS’s 16 Outstanding Undergraduate Students, honored for her academic excellence, leadership, campus involvement, and service.

Graduate students also excelled in the poster competitions. Lena Wilson from the Weber Lab earned first place in the PhD Student Poster Competition, while Oksana Bihun from the Peck Lab secured third place in the Master’s Student Poster Competition.

Jim Giovannoni, professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute and SIPS adjunct faculty member in Plant Biology, delivered the conference keynote, titled “Biotechnology, Genomics and Opportunities for Horticultural Science.”

Gennaro Fazio, adjunct associate professor in the Horticulture Section and USDA-ARS research geneticist in Geneva, NY, received the Wilder Medal from the American Pomological Society. The award recognized his outstanding contributions to pomology, outreach, and industry collaboration.

Incoming faculty member Casey Barickman, set to join SIPS as a vegetable crop physiologist in mid-August, was elected Vice President for the Research Division of the ASHS Board of Directors.

Horticulture professor Neil Mattson chaired the controlled environment professional interest group and co-coordinated the graduate student oral competition, which featured 36 entries. Mattson and graduate students Ava Forystek and Abby Pace presented their research in controlled environment sessions.

Professor Emeritus Thomas Björkman contributed to advocacy initiatives as part of the ASHS Leadership Fellows team within the National Issues Committee, which he founded in 2007.

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