What started as a nurseryman line at a local garden center , Yard Dog , in Odessa , turned into doctoral inquiry in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for Mason Marshall ' 26 . Marshall is a graduate pupil in the Department of Horticultural Sciences who has a passion for horticulture , decorative plants and teaching .

Marshall maturate up in Odessa and start assist a local residential district college in 2015 . Around the same time , he put down a job at a local works nursery that inspired him to eventually pursue a grade at Texas A&M University .

Marshall took a jump of religion and move across the state to transfer into the College at Bryan - College Station and never looked back . Seven years later , he ’s graduated with bachelor ’s and master ’s degrees and is work toward his doctor’s degree , all from the same department .

With his seven years of experience across multiple degree ’s , Marshall shared with us his story and perspective as a long - meter scholarly person in the College and department .

What contribute you to graduate school at Texas A&M?I was working at a local nursery in Odessa , and the couple that turn tail it were big Aggies . One of the owner , Lynn Correa ' 72 happened to be among the first womanhood to graduate from the university . I was already concerned in horticulture and had the opportunity to work tight with some great Aggies , so I want to transfer here . I ’m thankful for the cognition and warmth Randy and Lynn Correa instilled in me prior to arriving at Texas A&M.

Tell us about your research focus for your doctor’s degree . I’m make for on cosmetic selections and training , but I ’m more often than not focused on ornamental production , produce plants in a greenhouse and breed new plant .

I influence with Mike Arnold , Ph.D. , professor and director of The Gardens at Texas A&M University . He ’s my committee president , and we work on a wildflower called Mexican Hat . It ’s a coneflower , and it normally subsist in blood-red , yellow or bicolor variation . You see it throughout much of the U.S. Together , we ’re screening plant from unlike area in the southeast . We found some interesting traits , like lemon colour , upright petals and low ontogeny use . We are hop to start breeding them , and we ’ll do some control crossing in the nursery . It ’s a lot to learn , as it ’s a raw industrial plant for me , but I am in my 2d year working with it and am excited to continue .

Also , during my master copy ’s , I served as a teaching helper for a flowered purpose course of study , so I have some flowered experience . I trust to undertake a few cut flower projects and evaluate how they last as cut flowers for thing like bouquets .

What spark your interest in this field of research?It all started when I was working on my unmarried man ’s point with Terri Starman , Ph.D. , a professor in our section . I did undergraduate research with her during my senior class , focalize on a hybrid cosmetic helianthus called Sunfinity . This research then extend over into my lord ’s , where we collaborated with two industry collaborator .

When I was looking to deliver to school after dispatch my master ’s , I had possible opportunities to examine either here or in Georgia , in a immensely different horticultural area . At the time , I knew Dr. Arnold had a crop here to turn on that concerned me . analyze this plant with him would be a fresh challenge , but I knew I could learn a lot from him , which at long last go along me in College Station .

Tell us about your experience as a current graduate studentI savor the experience here because of the opportunity provided through the department and the College , as well as the networking I get here .

Everyone speak about the Aggie internet , but specifically in horticulture , I feel that we have such large-minded connections even though we are a little department .

I also really take account our section ’s applied research opportunities . Many students are interested in works and horticulture , but we also get to take both applied science courses and originative artistic production courses . Horticulture encompasses both the art and the science of growing and working with plant life , not just one or the other .

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