Plant and Soil Science |
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Mission
Program Overview
Club Opportunities
Campus Facilities
Future Employment Opportunities
Mission Back to top of page
The mission of the Department of Plant and Soil Science is to expand, integrate, and extend the knowledge of plant/soil ecosystems in the production of plants, the creation of a living landscape and the sustenance of environmental quality. The major components of our mission include:
Providing undergraduate students with rigorous, experience-based programs in both Sustainable Landscape Horticulture and Ecological Agriculture.
Training professionals in our M.S. and Ph.D. programs for careers in the disciplines of soils, entomology, horticulture, agroecology, and plant pathology
Providing excellence in extension education to the people of Vermont, the region, and the world.
Continuing national and international leadership in applied and basic research of plant/soil ecosystems and related disciplines.
Our three major missions of teaching, research and extension serve not only Vermont but are national and international in nature, enhancing diversity and interdisciplinary studies.
As the environmental university, our unique niche is the interface between soil and plant productivity spanning the gradient from rural to suburban. Within Plant and Soil Science, we maintain the terrestrial domain on point and non-point source pollution (e.g., nutrients, sediments, pesticides). If we solve the problems with soil-plant systems, then environmental problems decrease.
Program Overview Back to top of page
Majors in the Plant and Soil Science Department include both Ecological Agriculture and Sustainable Landscape Horticulture that allow students to expand their knowledge of science and apply it to plant production, landscape design, and environmental issues related to plants, insects, soil, and water management. Our program provides a unique, interdisciplinary opportunity to study plant/soil ecosystems that are managed for food, feed, or fiber production, for landscape purposes, or for recycling/waste utilization, areas that are very important from societal and environmental perspectives. Our faculty represents the disciplines of entomology, soil science, horticulture, agronomy, plant pathology, and water pollution control.
The Plant and Soil Science program integrates classroom and field experiences and incorporates relevant environmental, social, and economic issues into the curriculum. It is flexible, allowing you to pursue your interest in plant production, landscape design, and environmental issues related to plants, insects, soils, and water management while preparing for career opportunities and graduate studies. Faculty help students develop individualized courses of study to match their interests and career goals.
Club Opportunities Back to top of page
As a student, you can get involved in organizations that include the Horticulture Club, Common Ground Student Educational Farm, Friends of the Hort Farm, and/or Green Mountain Chapter of Alpha Zeta (National Agriculture Honor Society). Outreach opportunities are available through programs housed in our department including the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, Vermont Agricultural and Environmental Testing Laboratory, Vermont Plant Diagnostic Clinic, and Vermont Master Gardener.
Campus Facilities Back to top of page
The Plant and Soil Science faculty have received recognition for quality teaching and for expertise in horticulture, soil science, sustainable agriculture, and integrated pest management, including biological control of pests and pathogens. They are actively involved not only in teaching but in research that is targeted at solving agricultural and environmental challenges. Students are encouraged to become involved in on-going research projects or to develop independent learning experiences with the guidance of a faculty member. Students have access to university laboratories and greenhouse facilities on campus, the UVM Horticultural Research Center, the Entomology Research Laboratory, Constructed Wetlands Research Center, and Center for Sustainable Agriculture. In addition, through faculty contacts and interaction with landscape design firms, state and federal agencies, nurseries and garden centers, environmental consulting firms, and the agricultural community, opportunities exist for off-campus internships, which provide valuable work experience and insights into professional careers.
Future Employment Opportunities Back to top of page
Graduates with a Plant and Soil Science degree have pursued careers as soil conservationists, environmental consultants, agricultural consultants, landscape managers and designers, managers of nurseries and greenhouses and orchards, farmers, farm managers, researchers, and educators. Graduates have started their own businesses and are associated with private or public companies, agencies, or organizations. Employment opportunities.
For further information, please feel welcome to contact:
Chairperson:
Deborah.Neher@uvm.edu, (802) 656-0474
Student Recruitment Coordinator:
Mariann.Steen@uvm.edu, (802) 656-0469
Plant & Soil Science Department
Hills Agricultural Building
University
of Vermont
FAX: 802-656-4656
E-MAIL: pss@uvm.edu
Send questions or comments about this web site to webmaster Mariann.Steen@uvm.edu.
Last modified February 14 2008 01:31 PM
