The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has over 350 clubs and student organizations. The Department of Agronomy and Horticulture student organizations include the Agronomy Club, Horticulture Club, Range Management Club, Turf Club, Pi Alpha Xi (National Honor Society for Horticulture), Plant Biology club and AHGSA (Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association).
The department sponsors extracurricular, intercollegiate contest teams which compete at both regional and national levels. These include the Crops Judging team, Soil Judging team, Weed Science team and Turf Competition team.
Student Clubs
Agronomy Club Officers for 2024:
President: Zach Nienhueser
Vice President: Maggie Walker
Treasurer: Easton Weber
Assistant Treasurer: Colton Stubbs
Secretary: Jake Burge
Social (Media) Secretary: Nolan Wolfe
Events Coordinator: Daniel Frey
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Agronomy Club
The Agronomy Club strives:
- to provide educational and leadership opportunities and training outside of the conventional university classroom.
- stimulate interest in agronomic work among university students.
- foster a spirit of cooperation and mutual helpfulness among agronomy students and faculty.
- provide an opportunity for wider acquaintances with agronomic workers and activities of other divisions of the American Society of Agronomy.
- to be of service to the university, the department and other students.
Faculty advisers are Meghan Sindelar, 402-472-1740 and Chris Proctor, 402-472-5411.
Horticulture Club
The Horticulture Club's mission is to promote interest and further education in horticulture, and to provide a means by which students, professors, and industry professionals may meet and work together. Each December, the club holds a Poinsettia sale and each spring, a plant sale. Seeding, transplanting, daily watering, care, sale preparation and selling is done by club members.
Faculty Advisers are Stacy Adams, 402-472-2577 and Terri James, 402-472-8973.
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Email unlhortclub@gmail.com for more information.
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Pi Alpha Xi
Pi Alpha Xi is the National Honor Society for Horticulture. It was founded at Cornell University in 1923. The Nebraska chapter, Alpha-Gamma, was begun in 1982 and since that time over 280 horticulturists have been initiated. The purpose of the group is to promote high scholarship, fellowship among students, educators and professional horticulturists, professional leadership and the enrichment of human life through plants.
Faculty Advisers are Anne Streich, 402-472-1125, Luqi Li, 402-472-1477 and Caleb Wehrbein.
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Turf Club
The Turf Club's purpose is:
- to serve as an official organization for students interested in turfgrass management and to provide them with information about career directions and the credentials needed to become a part of the turfgrass industry.
- to promote and advance the profession and enrich the quality of turf and our environment.
- to provide an avenue for an exchange of information and ideas between students and professionals in the turfgrass industry.
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Contact Adviser Anne Streich for information at 402-472-1640.
Plant Biology Club
The Plant Biology Club’s purpose is:
- to provide mentorship and identity for students in the plant biology major and minor.
- to support undergraduate and graduate students.
- to support those engaged in research studying a range of topics, including molecular genetics, plant ecology, plant conservation and nutrient management.
Contact Adviser Christian Elowsky for information at 402-472-2848.
Range Management Club
The Range Management Club exists to:
- foster advancement in the science and art of range ecosystem management.
- to stimulate discussion and understanding of scientific and practical range and pasture problems.
- to provide a medium for exchange of ideas and facts among club members and range scientists.
- to attend annual meetings of the Nebraska and International Society for Range Management where students participate in student activities, including the Undergraduate Range Management Exam, Range Plant Identification Contest, Undergraduate Public Speaking Contest, and the Undergraduate Student Paper Session.
Contact Advisers Nicholas McMillan at 402-472-6237 or Cheryl Dunn at 402-472-1953 for more information.
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AHGSA
The Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association will serve as the representative body for graduate students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We work to promote interaction and a closer relationship among graduate students.
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AHGSA InformationStudent Contest Teams
Crops Judging Team
Crops Judging contests serve as amazing cross-disciplinary opportunities to both learn and showcase relevant agronomic knowledge and skills. Through preparation and participating in these contests, students develop a broad knowledge basis and hone their agronomic problem-solving abilities with these contests pulling many questions and components from professional accreditation programs such as the Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) program.
Interested students should contact Garrett Kuss, team coach at gkuss2@huskers.unl.edu for more information.
Soil Judging Team
Soil judging provides an opportunity for students to study soils through direct experience in the field. Students learn to describe soil properties, identify different kinds of soils and associated landscape features, and interpret soil information for agriculture and other land uses.
Interested students should contact Becky Young, Assistant Professor of Practice, at 402-472-1583 or ryoung@unl.edu for more information.
Turf Competition Team
Each year a group of students participates in the GCSAA Conference and Tradeshow and the Collegiate Turf Bowl. Teams (60+) come from all over the United States and Canada to participate. Recent finishes for Nebraska teams have included 4th, 8th, and 19th.
The Sports Field Management Association Conference and Exhibition is another conference and competition that students have participated in.
Weed Science Team
Students on the Weed Science Team compete in regional and national contests in multiple events ranging from identifying weeds to solving complex weed management challenges faced by farmers and land managers. This educational experience offers students a chance to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and to network with some of the top talent working in weed science today.
These contests are hosted in association with the North Central Weed Science Society and Weed Science Society of America.
Interested students should contact Chris Proctor, Associate Extension Educator, at 402-472-5411or caproctor@unl.edu for more information.
