Crook Awarded College of Ag Undergraduate Researcher of the Year

Jeremy began to learn about plants by working in landscaping and collecting house plants. At one point he had over 250 house plants which he cared for and studied. Utah State University was a logical place where he could continue developing this passion for plants. During his time at USU, he has worked as a landscape manager, an aquatic plant propagator, a nursery manager, and a chokecherry researcher. In 2008 and 2009 Jeremy was awarded an Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) grant to research chokecherries with Dr. Brent Black. There have been many opportunities to present this research at a national level. His research has been presented at the National Controlled Environment NCERA – 101 meeting in Park City, the USU Undergraduate Research Symposium, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) national conference in St. Louis, MO, and Research on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City.

Jeremy has been actively engaged with several national horticulture groups including the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS), where he is a Bruce Briggs Scholar; the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), where he is the National President for the undergraduate Association of Collegiate Branches (ACB); and is a member of the floriculture, propagation, and graduate working groups. He is also involved with the OFA, an Association of Horticulture Professionals whose focus is in floriculture, and he hopes to be an OFA Scholar in Ohio this summer. His leadership experiences on campus at USU include being voted as president of the National Honors Society in Floriculture, Phi Alpha Xi, Alpha Nu chapter and also working as the President of the Plant Science Club. Jeremy has shared his passion with those around him and helped others involved in horticulture see the many opportunities that exist in this field.

This summer Jeremy will begin a PhD in Plant and Environmental Science at Clemson University in South Carolina. At Clemson he will be working on water conservation in propagation of floriculture crops and studying the fluxes of water through propagules during the propagation rooting stages. His goal is to become a professor, educator and mentor to students all over the world. He looks forward to continued learning and research on plants and sharing that passion and knowledge with those around him.