Jones First Female Named D.C. Kiplinger Chair

Jones First Female Named D.C. Kiplinger Chair

Michelle Jones, an Ohio State horticulturist, has been appointed to the university’s D.C. Kiplinger Endowed Chair in floriculture in order to advance research and education and perpetuate the profitability and sustainability of the floriculture industry. Her term officially began October 1, and she’ll hold the position for five years.

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Jones is an associate professor with the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science. She fills the position left vacant when former chair Tony Stead fulfilled his term in 2005.

“I am extremely honored to represent Ohio State University and the floriculture industry as the D.C. Kiplinger Chair,” says Jones, a researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster. “I look forward to working closely with the industry to develop and implement research, Extension and educational programs that advance the practice and science of floriculture. It is especially crucial during these tough economic times that the funds from the D.C. Kiplinger Endowment be used to conduct basic and applied research that will improve the profitability and sustainability of the floriculture industry.”

The D.C. Kiplinger Chair was established in 1977 to honor Ohio State’s Department of Horticulture and Crop Science faculty member D.C. “Kip” Kiplinger and his 40 years of leadership and contributions to the floriculture industry. Those in the position strive to promote Ohio State floriculture research, perpetuate departmental programs and advance the national impact of university research and education. Marc Cathey, a noted horticulturalist and former director of the U.S. National Arboretum, was the first D.C. Kiplinger Chair.

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“The endowed chair was established to recognize Kip’s instruction, research and Extension efforts, which created a solid foundation on which Ohio State’s current floriculture faculty continue to build,” Jones says. “As the Kiplinger Chair, my research will focus on floriculture crop improvement during production and post-production. These projects will look at improving production efficiency and sustainability, as well as reducing postproduction losses, all of which can have an important impact on the profitability of floriculture production.”

Jones received a bachelor’s in agricultural biochemistry from Iowa State University. During that time, she worked on an undergraduate research project in the Department of Horticulture with Richard Gladon and Gail Nonnecke.

She has a unique background in both basic and applied research that will facilitate the development of multidisciplinary research projects that can address short-term and long-term research needs of the floriculture industry.   

As Kiplinger Chair, Jones will work to increase research and Extension collaborations between Ohio State’s floriculture faculty and build collaborations with other academic and industry partners, as well as mentor and educate future leaders of the floriculture industry.  For more information on the Ohio State University Floriculture Program, log on to http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/joneslab/.

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