Five students earn Bryson L. James Student Competition awards

Photo courtesy SNA. 2018 Bryson L. James Student Competition Awards Winners pictured from left to right:  Geoffrey Weaver, Md Niamul Kibir, Kaitlin Barrios, Connor Ryan, and Matthew Brown. 

Atlanta, Ga. – Five students from two universities were presented cash awards totaling $1,800 for their presentations at the Bryson L. James Student Competition. The competition took place during the 62nd SNA Research Conference, and the awards were presented on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Md.

The competition, sponsored by Bennett’s Creek Wholesale Nursery and Lancaster Farms, is named in honor of Dr. Bryson L. James, McMinnville, Tenn., a researcher and consultant who served as SNA Director of Research for more than 30 years. Any student of a university or college having researchers that participate in the Southern Nursery Association Research Conference and not more than a one academic year has passed since their graduation and whose research was completed prior to graduation can participate in the competition. Judging is based on paper preparation and oral presentation. The competition is divided into three categories of Ph.D., M.S., and B.S.

First place winners of $500 each included:
Geoffrey Weaver, University of Georgia (Ph.D.)
Title:  Modeling energy-efficient lighting strategies for petunia and impatiens using chlorophyll fluorescence and historical weather data

Connor Ryan, University of Georgia (M.S.)
Title:  Susceptability of Sarcococca Taxa to Boxwood Blight Caused by Calonextria pseudonaviculata

Second place winners of $300 each included:
Md Niamul Kibir, Tennessee State University (Ph.D.)
Title:  Effect of fungicides and biorational products on Phytophthora root rot of hydrangea cultivars

Matthew Brown, Tennessee State University (M.S.)
Title:  Evaluation of fungicides and biofungicides for control of Phytophthora cinnamomi on flood-stressed flowering dogwoods

Third place winners of $200 each included:
Kaitlin Barrios, University of Georgia (Ph.D.)
Title:  Mutagenesis of Illicium parviflorum for Novel Phenotypes

In addition to the cash awards for excellence in written and oral presentations for their respective research projects, each student was presented with a plaque.