by Lana Koepke Johnson | Agronomy and Horticulture
Anne Streich, professor of practice in agronomy and horticulture, was honored with the Lawrence K. Crowe Undergraduate Advisor Award at the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Awards Luncheon May 12 at the Nebraska East Union. This award recognizes a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions in undergraduate advising.
Streich serves as advisor to more than 200 agronomy and horticulture students majoring in Agronomy or Plant and Landscape Systems.
Marybeth Helmink, University of Nebraska–Lincoln advising and academic programs director, said Streich’s commitment to helping students achieve their full potential is unwavering, and consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that her advisees are equipped with the resources, support and information they need to succeed.
“I love the energy that students bring to campus,” Streich said. “I enjoy getting to know them and seeing them gain confidence as they find their passion.”
Streich teaches PLAS 95 Plant and Landscape Systems Seminar – a career and internship preparation course, PLAS 227 Introductory Turfgrass Management, the internship courses (PLAS 295, PLAS 395A, PLAS 395B, PLAS 395L, PLAS 395T), PLAS 391T Special Topics in Turfgrass Science and Management and co-teaches AGRI 311 Study Tours in US Agriculture with Brad Goetsch, assistant professor of practice.
She also serves as club advisor for Pi Alpha Xi Alpha Gamma chapter, the National Honor Society for Horticulture, and the Turf Club. She worked hard to renew student interest in the Turf Club and reinvigorated it after it was defunct for several years. As Turf Club advisor she helps students prepare for the annual Turf Bowl competition which takes place at the national Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Conference and Trade Show.
Originally from Brandon, South Dakota, Streich grew up with a love for sports and the outdoors. She came to Nebraska to study architecture, but soon realized that wasn’t her calling.
“I figured out that I could combine my interests of golf, drawing and the outdoors by studying landscape design,” Streich said. “My plan was to be a golf course architect.”
Streich earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
“After taking a turf class and working on a golf course for three years, I shifted my professional goals and pursued a master’s degree in turfgrass management with an emphasis on golf green management,” Streich said.
Streich’s research for her master’s degree required her to visit more than 100 golf courses in Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa.
“For someone who loves golf, playing the game and just being on the course, this was an awesome research project,” Streich said.
After graduate school, Streich worked for a golf course construction company and a turf chemical company. In 1994 she came back to the university to start her eight-year career with Nebraska Extension. She also completed a second master’s degree in community and regional planning.
In 2007 Streich joined the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture in a student focused position that has included student recruitment, advising and teaching.
In 2019 the department restructured the approach to undergraduate advising. Striech became the professional advisor and serves as the primary and sole advisor to incoming and current students in Agronomy, Horticulture, Turfgrass and Landscape Management, and the new major in Plant and Landscape Systems.
“Anne was the ideal candidate for this centralized advising role because she is exceptionally organized, loves problem-solving, and is passionate about student success and career placement,” said Sam Wortman, associate professor of agronomy and horticulture.
Professional mentoring and experience is a critical aspect of advising as students make a four-year transition from high school to the workforce. Streich looks for those unique connections between the interests of a specific student and the opportunities they walk by every day in the classrooms, labs, gardens and greenhouses.
“Our degree programs are stronger, and our students are successful throughout their degree programs and after graduation, due in large part to Anne’s advising,” said Keenan Amundsen, More importantly, students are very grateful for Streich’s advising and mentoring.
“When I came into college, I had one goal on my mind: to get my degree and get out,” said Dominic Johnson, senior agronomy major. “Anne has turned a student like myself, who had zero passion for truly learning, into someone who not only values the opportunity to learn, but looks forward to being a lifelong learner.
“Anne has been one of the most positive and supportive people in helping me navigate my college career.”
