Plants, Places and People

In July, our organization lost one of the greats. Most everyone knew Tony Koski as the “turf guy”, but he was our colleague, mentor, Master Gardener volunteer, and most importantly, our friend. Tony’s willingness to help went beyond any written job description. He made himself available to everyone. He distributed his cell phone number like Halloween candy – proven by the thousands of contacts he had in his phone. In the months since his passing, I’m sure you, like me, have reached for your phone to ask some mundane turf question, only to realize…….

Tony loved Extension and its mission. He was a two-time graduate of a land grant university (who currently happens to be the #1 team in football) and embraced Extension in all aspects of his career. Tony was a role model for all of us. He talked about the importance of Extension in his undergraduate turfgrass management class at CSU. He perfected his “elevator speech” at industry presentations. He served as a mentor to so many staff (new and old) and led by example. Tony never shied away from controversy. When confronted with topics like Roundup, he was patient, kind, and always willing to listen to the other person. Even in the heat of debate, he was respectful.

Tony treated his Extension colleagues as his equal, and to him, job titles were just words. He is a major reason why we have faculty status today. He was a tireless advocate and spent hundreds of hours in committee meetings to make this a reality. To him, field staff were never “just” county agents – he supported and believed in the work being done locally.

He experienced Extension from so many perspectives. He served as the Associate Extension Director. He was interim department head in Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. He took the Master Gardener training and routinely volunteered over 300 hours each year. He loved doing site visits and getting emails from homeowners because it kept him in touch with what was happening in home lawns. He converted us to Turf Nerds. He stood up against injustices and advocated for those who didn’t feel they had a voice. He was so much to so many.

Tony loved to bake. He collected golf course architecture books. He was a better caddie than a golfer. He would buy breakfast for the Master Gardeners on Saturday mornings at the farmers’ market. He loved his beagle Linden and cold-hardy cacti. He never had a lawn. He ate every hot pepper at the county fair. He did Zumba. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his first words to his oncologist were, “Ok, how do we beat this?” He was an optimist.

As we navigate Extension without one of our greats, remember Tony’s final words, “May your lawns be green and your trees be healthy. More importantly, maintain friendships with people you love and don’t be afraid to try new things. In turf we trust.” And in love we abide.

Dr. Robert (Bob) Skirvin - Obituary

It is with sadness that we share the news that Dr. Robert (Bob) Skirvin passed in August of this year. He had deep impacts on several lives. The link to his “academic obituary” is above. Please share as appropriate with your academic contacts.

Bob touched so many lives through his kind mentoring, and now we would like to share his life story with his academic colleagues.

Heath Mizer, Assistant Professor

Landscape Architecture

Faculty Member

Heath is an award-winning Landscape Architect with 25 years of professional experience in landscape architecture, urban design, and planning. He views landscape as a powerful and enduring medium for artistic expression and approaches each project with a strong emphasis on scale, craft, composition, and contextual integration.

Over the course of his career, Heath has successfully led a diverse range of urban parks, plazas, and public realm projects from concept through implementation, applying a critical and rigorous design process at every stage. Heath’s work continues to shape impactful public spaces as the lead designer for the renovation of Finlay Park in Columbia, SC, and as co-lead designer for Discovery Park at the Windler Development in Aurora, CO. Both parks are currently under construction, representing a combined investment of $55 million in public space improvements.

In addition to his professional practice, Heath brings his passion for landscape architecture into the classroom at CSU. He shares real-world insights with his students, and his research focuses on universal design strategies aimed at creating a more accessible and dynamic public realm for all. “My brother-in-law John is a quadriplegic, and he’s an inspiration in all of my work,” he says. “Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to appreciate the value of accessibility until you experience it personally. That perspective motivates me to design better experiences for all.”

Mark Uchanski and the agrivoltaics team in HLA are conducting corn (Agronomic dent and sweet) research in 2024-2025, respectively, at ARDEC South.

Vertical solar fences powering crop research in Colorado at Colorado State University’s Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC) in Fort Collins, Sandbox Solar and CSU are advancing agrivoltaic innovation through a pioneering project that integrates solar energy and active farmland with minimal disruption. Featuring three vertical bifacial solar fence arrays inspired by successful European models, this design captures sunlight on both sides of the panels while allowing traditional farm machinery to operate freely beneath. By demonstrating how solar energy can coexist with crop production — in this case, with corn — this project addresses real-world challenges for farmers seeking sustainable solutions that protect their livelihood and Colorado’s energy future.

Members of the Rhodes Lab recently attended the African Plant Breeders Association Conference in Zimbabwe, held under the theme “Winning the Race Against Food Insecurity, Malnutrition, and Climate Change.” The event brought together scientists, plant breeders, policymakers, development organizations, and NGOs from around the world dedicated to advancing food security across Africa.

During the conference, Postdoctoral Researcher Linly Banda and PhD student Rae McDowell delivered oral presentations in the Biofortification session, sharing the lab’s latest findings and engaging in vibrant discussions on improving the nutritional quality of staple crops.