Plants, Places and People
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Colorado State University
March 2026
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Message from Dr. Dawn Thilmany
Professor and Interim Department Head
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Spring is always a positive time of year, but particularly for those of us in HLA as the days grow longer and green begins popping up all around us.
We have had a busy winter filled with research and extension activities, many of which are highlighted throughout the newsletter below. As we head into Spring Break, we will begin planning for our end-of-semester events. Graduation weekend is May 15th and we look forward to celebrating a great group of HLA graduates.
In addition, we anticipate sharing more exciting news in the near future. Over the past weeks we have hosted excellent candidates on campus as part of the search for our next Department Head. We expect to make an announcement in April and look forward to introducing the individual who will guide HLA into its next chapter - so stay tuned.
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From Syria to San Luis Valley: Potato Pathologist,
Mohamad Chikh-Ali cultivates solutions for Colorado growers
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Mohamad Chikh-Ali is the potato pathologist at the San Luis Valley Research Center, where he collaborates with colleagues to evaluate advanced potato clones on grower farms. While Samual focuses on assessing potato yield and tuber quality, Mohamad specializes in evaluating disease incidence and severity in those same potato trials, helping ensure both productivity and plant health are thoroughly examined.
From Syria to San Luis Valley
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CSU's Community Garden Club Grows a Garden
to Partner with Rams Against Hunger
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HLA Instructor, Amy Lentz, is the faculty advisor for the CSU's Community Garden Club. Earlier this month, the CSU Community Garden Club members made a visit to Rams Against Hunger to learn about the process involved in running a food donation center on campus that supports students, staff and the CSU community with food security. The Community Garden Club established a partnership with Rams Against Hunger to donate fresh produce from their community garden at the Horticulture Center as well as working on a hydroponic tomato project to help provide produce during the off-season. The garden was established last summer and they had great success with growing a wide variety of vegetables. It's a great new club that was just started this past year!
Follow their progress on Instagram @cgocsu
| | CSU Student Education Garden (SEG) | | |
Funding Safety Equipment for the Student Education Garden (SEG)
The CSU SEG is an experiential learning outdoor classroom located on campus, making it easy for students, staff and faculty to engage in hands-on education.
In 2025, SEG received a generous donation of farm equipment from ARDEC to support garden operations and teaching activities. To ensure the equipment can be safely and effectively used by garden managers, staff, and students, several items required minor repairs and safety upgrades.
We are excited to share that the Associated Students of CSU (ASCSU) Senate has approved $2,982 to complete these upgrades in preparation for the 2026 growing season!
We are incredibly grateful for ASCSU’s support in strengthening student learning opportunities and enhancing the safety and functionality of SEG equipment. This investment will directly benefit hands-on education and garden operations in the year ahead.
| | CSU Trial Gardens Bulb Displays | | |
The CSU Trial Gardens have been a University and community fixture for many years. You may have noticed the last couple of springs, several beds planted with tulips, daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs!
We want to continue to provide visitors and the community with an opportunity to enjoy colorful plants and displays throughout the spring AND summer. These bulb displays also provide opportunities for students working in the trial gardens and students in our courses to learn more about this sector of horticulture.
With your contribution, we can work to make the bulb displays a financially sustainable program, providing mass plantings and hopefully formal bulb trials!
Click here: CSU BULB DISPLAYS to go to the website to contribute!
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Over the past few years, many agriculture teachers have expressed interest in expanding their knowledge of plant sciences. We’re excited to share that we have officially launched the Train-the-Teachers in Plant Science program.
Please help us spread the word and encourage ag teachers to apply https://extension.colostate.edu/train-the-teachers-in-plant-science/.
This USDA-funded program is completely free and designed specifically for agriculture educators who want to strengthen their plant science knowledge, gain practical classroom-ready resources, and feel more confident teaching plant-based agriculture topics. The program combines applied science, real-world examples, and educator-focused tools that participants can immediately bring back to their classrooms.
Participants will also have the option to join a complimentary Colorado agriculture field trip in late July, featuring guided tours of innovative, plant-based agricultural operations across the state. This optional experience provides a great opportunity to connect with fellow educators, see plant science/industry in action, and gather fresh ideas to bring back to students.
To apply, please complete the short application form on our website.
Additional details about the program structure and the optional Colorado agriculture field trip are available on the website and in the attached flyers.
We also have a limited number of spots available for our own faculty. If you’re interested, please:
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Sign up on the website if you would like to participate in the tour yourself.
- Share this opportunity with agriculture teachers in your network.
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Back in early February, thousands of industry professionals coalesced in Denver at ProGreen, the Western Region’s premier green industry event.
The three-day event is chock-full of educational seminars and presentations, along with an industry trade show. As always, it was a great opportunity to connect with other professionals and stakeholders. CSU was well represented, from faculty and graduate students to many Extension professionals, all sharing their research and horticulture knowledge and making connections and learning from our stakeholders.
The CSU CAS HLA Education booth had many visitors, asking questions and learning about a wide variety of CSU programming—from sustainable pest management, soil, water, and plant testing, Plant Select, Plant Talk Colorado, natural resource programs, and the HLA Department. Total ProGreen registrations have been mostly stable over the last four years, with a slight increase in the last three years. No doubt, the mild winter weather this year limited travel concerns and reduced the need for snow removal!
ProGreen 2027 is slated for January 26-28…put it on your calendar!
| | HLA Career Mixer - A Success | | |
The 2026 HLA Career Mixer was a tremendous success, bringing together 36 industry employers and alumni partners with 95 students for an evening of meaningful connection, career exploration, and community building.
This year marked our first time hosting the event in the Lory Student Center Theatre, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Industry partners shared that it was the best venue they have experienced in five years of attending, praising the welcoming atmosphere and thoughtful design. Students echoed this sentiment, noting that the space made the evening feel “special” and helped them envision themselves launching into their professional careers.
Before the student mixer, many HLA faculty engaged with industry partners during a dedicated pre-event gathering, strengthening relationships that support student learning, internships, and workforce pathways.
The strong collaboration between the HLA Department and the CSU Career Center played a key role in this year’s success, allowing for enhanced coordination, expanded employer engagement, and elevated student participation. Together, this partnership continues to strengthen HLA’s commitment to creating high-impact, relationship-centered career experiences.
Thank you to everyone who engaged with this event! it would not have been as successful without your support. We look forward to building on this momentum in the years ahead.
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Labores y Disenos
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, we had a free community gathering hosted by Las Diseñadoras in collaboration with ASLA Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, ISAAC of Northern Colorado, and Colorado Immigrant Protection Teams, with support from CSU Landscape Architecture.
In a moment that calls for care and solidarity, Labores y Diseños brings together, laborers, designers, construction professionals, and community members to honor the immigrant neighbors whose skills, labor, and leadership make our built environments possible. Our landscapes and shared spaces are not possible without the hands, knowledge, and lived experience of workers in the field, and this event creates space to reflect on how those contributions are recognized, supported, and sustained. As employers and decision-makers, designers play a critical role in shaping workplace culture, equity, and long-term support for laborers. Labores y Diseños aims to foster meaningful conversation around how industry leaders can better support and advocate for their workforce.
The evening closed with larger community conversation and dinner. Thank you all for attending.
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Dewanshi Kumari
HLA Graduate Student, CSU
Advisor: Mark Uchanski
Dewanshi received the Academic Excellence Award which was presented at the NRHH Academic Gala by CSU Rams Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary.
Congratulations Dewanshi
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Landscape Architecture Foundation
Olmsted Scholars Program
Congratulations to Louise Halaburt on being selected as CSU’s nominee for the Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholars Program!
The Olmsted Scholars Program is a prestigious national award that recognizes landscape architecture students who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential and a strong commitment to advancing sustainable design. Scholars are celebrated for fostering human and societal benefits through ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership.
Being nominated for the Olmsted Scholars Program is an honor in itself, reflecting the Landscape Architecture faculty’s collective confidence in Louise’s accomplishments and her future promise within the discipline. This nomination highlights her dedication, vision, and meaningful contributions to the field of landscape architecture.
Well done, Louise!
| | | CHREF Scholarship Awardees | | |
HLA Seminar Schedule
Spring 2026
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