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Horticulture Cheers for Spring 2020 Graduates

Graduation commencement

Congratulations 2020 Graduates!

The department created the Horticultural Science Graduates website to honor and celebrate the success of our graduating students. This will be a “yearbook” for graduates so that you can remember the great times that you have had in Kilgore Hall and the Department of Horticultural Science. Here, you’ll find messages from Chancellor Randy Woodson, Dean Richard Linton and Dr. John Dole, and each graduate’s advisor as well as a profile page for each graduate.

Join in the fun and post congratulatory messages to your graduate or your peers on their graduate profile pages. Visit the graduate’s page to submit a comment or Make a Submission at the top of this page, select Celebrate a Graduate. Instructors, co-workers, family members, and friends are all encouraged to post messages and let them know how proud you are of them and share your excitement for their next journey.

Cheers to your success and aspirations!

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 Dr. Helen Kraus, Undergraduate Programs Coordinator
Dr. Helen Kraus, Undergraduate Programs Coordinator

Message from Helen Kraus

Undergraduate Programs Coordinator

The Horticultural Science Spring 2020 graduating class is leaving in uncertain times.  However, one thing is certain – they are an outstanding group that will have a positive impact on the world. Scholastically strong, they are also rich in study abroad, internship, and research experiences. Their career goals range from graduate school, to research and extension, to ornamental and edible plant production, to landscape design and maintenance, to public gardens and arboreta. 

Graduates – we hope your lives are full of passion and promise: a passion for the beautiful and plentiful industry in which we are fortunate to work and promise for a life enriched by the people and plants that we share this world with. Go out and do as much good as you can, impact people and the world as positively as you can, and stay in touch as often as you can.  We are very proud of you and will miss you.

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Dr. Chris Gunter, Graduate Programs Director
Dr. Chris Gunter, Graduate Programs Director

Message from Chris Gunter

Director of Graduate Programs

As the Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Horticultural Science, it is my honor and pleasure to congratulate you on your degree completion. This is a time for a celebration which is especially appropriate for Spring, which is a season full of new growth.

As you know our Department offers three graduate degrees: PhD, MS, and MHS. The MHS degree is offered face-to-face or via distance. We currently have 49 graduate students in our department. We are very happy that you are one of the students completing your degree with us today. It is important to remember that you and your fellow graduates are prepared for faculty positions at other universities, jobs in the private sector, or PhD studies.

The goal of our graduate degree program is to provide you with a wide range of advanced professional opportunities and learning experiences so that you are able to move with the confidence of being well-prepared for the next phase of your professional life.

I want to thank you for choosing NC State Department of Horticultural Science for your degree program. Our department depends on you for our research, teaching, and extension programs. We simply could not do what we do without your help! More importantly, we depend on graduate students to bring NEW IDEAS and ENERGY, and some fun, to our programs. We are very proud of you! We also look forward to interacting with you in the future as you advance in your professional career. You are part of the Wolfpack family forever!

Finally, I would like to thank Rachel McLaughlin, the Graduate Services Coordinator, for all she does for the graduate program and for the graduate students.

Dr. Frank Louws, Department Head for Horticultural ScienceMessage from Frank Louws

Head of the Department of Horticultural Science

It is a distinct honor to congratulate each one of you as a graduate of our Department, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and NC State University. Well done! This is a great accomplishment that represents an exceptional amount of work, commitment, and hopefully many good memories and experiences. We are proud to share this achievement with you.

Congratulations to parents, guardians, partners, extended family members, friends, and supporters of our students. We celebrate all that you have done to sustain and encourage your student. It takes a team effort within the university, within the home and within the community to provide the best opportunity for each student to succeed according to their passions, interests, and gifts. Thank you for your role.

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