The Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarships in Horticulture

Scholarship managed in house. No collaborating institution.

Selection Committee - Brooke Slater, GCC, Chairman; Carolyn Batcheller, GCC; Mary-Scott Cebul, GCC; Leslie Marting, SLGC; Amy Miller, SLGC; Jane Pinkas, SLGC

Number of Applications - 15
Number of 2023-2024 awards- 9 

Charles Colvin, Junior, Plant Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, degree expected 2025

Project: Tuition ($3500)

Charles “Charlie” Colvin’s interest in gardening began at a young age with a determination to understand the secrets of plant growth in his home garden to ensure successful crops for the season. He was amazed at the results from educating himself on understanding growing conditions, nutrient needs, and resolving issues from plant pests and diseases. His successful summer gardens through the years have produced over 500 pounds of produce, which he has donated to his community food bank. Charlie’s passion for hands-on work combined with an interest in research lead him to pursue a degree in Plant Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA, Charlie is a Schreyer Honors Scholar and a Research Assistant in the Chopra Maize Genetics Lab studying plant genetics and biotechnology. He is currently researching ways to improve the phyllosphere (parts of a plant that exist above ground where microorganisms can be found) of plants, specifically corn. He is extracting leaves and differentiating microbial communities within the phyllosphere to better understand microbe sequences. His work within the lab has contributed significantly toward research goals as well as earning multiple awards for his current lab work. This summer he will continue this important research which will fuel his interests of “developing resilient crops, sustainable enhancement of yields, and improving nutritional value in crops” that will benefit both plants and consumers. Upon graduation, Charlie plans to pursue a PhD in agriculture with the hope to revolutionize food production methods while mitigating environmental impact.

Robert Moore, Masters candidate in Environmental Science, Cleveland State University, degree expected December 2024

Project: Tuition & Research ($3500)

Robert “Rob” Moore is working toward a Master’s degree in Environmental Science through Cleveland State University’s Environmental Sciences Program. His previous research completed during his undergraduate studies gave him the foundation and deep appreciation for greenspaces and urban forests. Presently, Rob is researching the tree canopy quality in urban areas, throughout Northeast Ohio to establish methods of mapping tree canopy quality. According to Professor Mueller, Rob has already “contributed substantially to the project in producing a high-resolution map of land surface temperatures of Cuyahoga County that the county planning commission is integrating into its effort for considering environmental stressors and potential mitigation by tree planting.” Rob’s program data shows areas with significantly warmer land temperatures having a correlation to areas with diminishing tree canopies. Areas with cooler land temperatures have significantly more tree canopy cover and healthier trees associating with communities willing to invest in maintaining a healthy tree infrastructure. A noted decline in tree quantity, quality, and poor health is visible in Cleveland areas that are lacking in resources. It is Rob’s hope to improve environmental conditions through tree canopy restoration and preservation through his mapping program. This program will be made available to city managers in the efforts of improving greenspaces for communities. Rob will use his funds toward tuition which will allow him to focus on this important work.

Emily Becker, Master’s Candidate, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Kent State University, degree expected May 2025

Project: Tuition ($3500)

Emily Becker is a highly motivated and enthusiastic master’s candidate at Kent State University. She has immersed herself in learning about many different aspects of life on our planet; including mollusks, birds, amphibians, invertebrates and plants. Through these many interests and studies, Emily clearly has a passion for all things living and educating herself, as well as others, to work towards improving sustainability and conservation efforts within her community. Emily was selected to conduct research at Mount Union’s Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center in the summer of 2021. She spent the summer conducting field surveys while also inquiring about various wildflowers. Emily independently collected fall and spring wildflower specimens, preserved, and mounted them for display. She then created educational posters of the wildflowers collected and digitized the collection of 229 specimens for future reference. Emily is also working on a research project that involves “assessing the potential differences in stress response between native and non-native populations of honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Both species have been spreading over large areas of the United States and are invasive in other countries. Emily is looking at the effects of drought on plants she has grown from seed in the Herrick Research Greenhouse. The results will help determine the best control of these specific species after a drought or a fire. Emily’s dedication to research, combined with her natural ability to engage and educate the public is infectious. She truly enjoys sharing her found knowledge with others in the hopes to bring awareness and inspire change. She will use her funds toward tuition.

Conner Bigler, Sophomore, Horticulture Landscape Contracting, Purdue University, degree expected May 2026

Project: Tuition ($3500)

Conner Bigler has been immersed in landscape gardening, installations and maintenance throughout the majority of his life. Conner is pursuing a degree in Horticulture Landscape Contracting, but he has already begun a successful business within his hometown. He spends summers mowing lawns, planting, breeding perennials, harvesting seeds from native plants and designing landscapes for his customers. At home, he assists his family in propagating their 450 species of daylilies and incorporating those plants into his designs. Conner finds this approach to be quite fulfilling, and is interested in expanding the business to grow natives that can also be used in his clients’ gardens. Conner’s horticultural enthusiasm has carried over into his undergraduate work at Purdue University. Professor Gloribel Rosales-Burdin states that in class Conner “combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience. His vast real-world horticulture knowledge is a testament to his commitment to the field beyond academic requirements.” Outside of school, Conner is a 10 year 4-H member, serving as president for 5 of those years. In addition to running his own landscape business throughout the summer, he also works as a Plant Growth Regulator Technician. Conner is trained to work on maintaining trees and shrub growth near power lines throughout Indiana set to an arborist’s standard. Maintaining a 3.54 GPA, Conner excels both in the classroom as well as in his community. He plans to expand his landscape company with a focus on utilizing natives and creating environmental sustainability in the landscape after graduation. Conner will use the funds toward his tuition.

Virginia “Ginger” Hansen, Master’s candidate Landscape Architecture, Temple University, degree expected May 2026

Project: Tuition ($3500)

Virginia “Ginger” Hansen is a former Philadelphia District Attorney now pursuing her dream of becoming a Landscape Architect. During the pandemic, Ginger found peace in talking nature walks, engaging in nature and developing an appreciation to sustainability. She felt it was important to share this appreciation and improve the environment through design and thoughtful sustainable practices. Temple University’s approach to landscape design focuses on restoration following indigenous practices that use existing land to enhance nature. This mission aligns with the approach Ginger wishes to take when she begins practicing landscape architecture within her community. The engineering and plant identification classes she has taken have given her the knowledge of “how to go about making important changes to the land, while the ecology has taught (her) why.” Ginger has already taken these important lessons and implemented them as a design intern with a local landscape company. One well-received project involved creating a rain garden using plantings that are native to the Delaware Valley. The result was a colorful, thoughtful and creative solution with spaces allowing the client to engage with nature. Upon graduation, Ginger wishes to continue to inspire change, conserve the land, and educate her community on a larger scale in designing public spaces that will serve the ecosystem in a conscientious manner. Ginger plans to use the funds towards tuition.

Will Sayner, Sophomore, Botany & Environmental Science, Miami University, degree expected May 2026

Project: Tuition ($2000)

Driven by a love for the environment and nature, Will is pursuing a co-major in Botany and Environmental Science at Miami University. Through his studies, Will is expanding his understanding and knowledge of ways to help preserve, conserve and educate others to create a sustainable Earth. Will has maintained an excellent 3.85 GPA and earned a spot on both the Dean’s and President’s lists while balancing an intense course load, as well as contributing to his Miami Community with volunteer and internship opportunities. Will recently began an internship with the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability and participated in a Service+ Program. He assisted with two native plant installations on campus; planting over 2,000 native plant species that were donated from the National Wildlife Federation. In addition to this project, Will has also dedicated his free time to assisting with the success of campus sustainability initiatives through the Student Conservation Association involving recycling, composting, LEED Operations and Maintenance Certification and Universal Waste Management. His ability to maintain academic success is paired with his enthusiasm for making a difference around the Miami Community with his dedication to service. Will plans to use his funds toward tuition.

Emily Schneider, Sophomore, Sustainable and Organic Horticulture Major, History Major, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Minor, Environmental Studies and Sustainability Minor, Michigan State University, degree expected May 2026

Project: Tuition ($3500)

Emily Schneider is a sophomore at Michigan State University; double majoring in Sustainable and Organic Horticulture and History with a minor in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems as well as a minor in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Minor. Emily’s family is deeply invested in horticulture. Her mother is an avid gardener and her father is an arborist. Growing up, weekends were filled with garden walks, planting gardens at home, and she was taught to value sustainable practices with respect to fresh produce. At Michigan State, Emily took a field course that introduced her to urban farming and instantly saw the benefits of having a farm that would not only provide nourishment to a community where fresh produce was once inaccessible, but also educate communities to plant and maintain their own urban gardens. Emily is learning how to increase soil health, creating passive solar greenhouses, and how to grow and propagate plants at various stages. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA and being on the Dean’s list for the past two years, Emily is preparing to represent Michigan State at the 2024 National Collegiate Landscape Competition, she also holds the role of Vice President of Finance for the Dance Marathon Spartython, a fundraiser for the Sparrow Childrens Center Hospital. After graduation, Emily would like to fulfill her dream of starting her own urban farm. Emily has seen firsthand that food insecurity is a major problem across America and is motivated and determined to help others become their own food sovereigns. Emily will use the funds toward her out-of-state tuition.

Kennady Sloniger, Junior, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Ball State University, degree expected May 2026

Project: Tuition & Travel to ASLA Conference ($2000)

Kennady Sloniger was introduced to gardening through her grandmother, who instilled not only a love of plants but an appreciation of nature and its inhabitants. Kennady is a junior with a 3.91 GPA at Ball State University pursing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree. Kennady is enjoying her studio design classes, which showcase her talents and thorough understanding of design concepts. This success in the classroom has provided her the opportunity to lead a group of design students varying from sophomore level through master’s candidates in a week-long Design Week! Event on campus. Her group was praised with having a creative, thoughtful and clearly presented design. This is a testament to her dedication and enthusiasm for not only collaborating with other peers, but also being an effective leader. Upon graduation, Kennady plans to pursue a master’s degree in Forestry and Arboriculture. She feels strongly that with her future undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture combined with an understanding of forestry and arboriculture, it will allow her to incorporate these ideologies into a successful career in landscape architecture using innovative, sustainable and ecologically responsible solutions. She will use her funds toward tuition.

Samson Durgy, Junior, Landscape Architecture & Minor in Horticulture, Michigan State University, degree expected 2025

Project: Tuition ($800)

Samson “Sam” Durgy is a 2023 KMG Scholarship recipient. He is currently maintaining a 3.65 GPA at Michigan State University. This past summer Sam worked as an intern for the City of Aspen’s Parks and Open Space Department inColorado. He was an integral part of a large planting installation in the Dolinsek Gardens, Aspen’s newest park. This opportunity presented him with the knowledge of vegetation native to the Western U.S. and how to work with plant limitations due to altitude. Throughout the project, Sam was able to help with presentations to the public, manage in-house construction, complete renderings and construction drawings for the project. This gave Sam a well-rounded experience of a design-build project. Sam is also continuing his internship with the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden and is presently designing Phase 3 for the ongoing pollinator garden project he began in 2022, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the garden. This spring Sam will be participating in the Spring Study Abroad Program where he will visit England, Portugal, and the Netherlands to study gardens and experience the cultures. Upon graduation, Sam will begin a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning with a focus on green infrastructure in urban spaces. He will use his funds toward tuition.