Source: NCSU COLLEGE OF AG & LIFE SCIENCES, 12/4/15


Dr. Grady Miller, professor and extension turf specialist with NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is being honored by Turfgrass Producers International with the association’s Turfgrass Educator Award of Excellence. The associated cited his personal commitment, dedication and positive influence in helping to educate consumers, turfgrass producers and industry professionals.

During his career at NC State and the University of Florida, he has taught 65 university course sections in subjects related to turfgrass culture, golf and sports turf management and research methodology. He is the co-author of Managing Bermudagrass Turf’ and Design, Construction, and Management of Bermudagrass Athletic Fields. He has published over 400 articles dealing with all phases of turfgrass management.

Dr. Miller is active with a number of state and national associations and works closely with the sod, sports turf and golf course industry to address issues and find solutions to common turf problems. For the last 15 years he has had a regular column featured in Sports Turf magazine.

His latest collaboration is a new U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded project with four other universities to study the persistence, survival and recovery of warm-season turfgrasses for sustainable urban landscapes under limited irrigation and long-term drought. This project is a team approach to developing and testing new grasses that can have lasting benefits to the turfgrass industry.

He frequently travels throughout North Carolina and beyond, offering his knowledge and experience in helping people select the best grasses, educating them on how to fertilize and water them properly and how to use them appropriately. He also frequents athletic fields, golf courses, sod farms, home lawns, and roadsides — anywhere there are turfgrass problems. He gets great satisfaction helping turfgrass managers, especially former students and long-time industry friends.

Dr. Miller will receive his award on Feb. 23, during TPI’s Annual Business Meeting at the TPI 2016 International Education Conference & Field Day in Houston, Texas.