Turfgrass Management Certificate

INSTRUCTORS

Steve Ries, M.S., Research Associate, Agricultural Operations, UC Riverside. Ries is studying the construction and use of natural grass sports turf playing fields. He is a licensed PCA and Certified Professional Agronomist and has over 10 years of experience in the turf industry. He is a member of the Southern California Turfgrass Council, American Society of Agronomy, and Soil Science Society of America.

Donald R. Ackley, M.S., Water Management Specialist, Coachella Valley Water District.
As a leader of irrigation system evaluation Mobile Lab Team since 1985, Ackley has evaluated over 600 irrigation systems, including 65 golf courses, and has authored over 20 papers relating to efficient irrigation system evaluation and management. He is also a Certified Irrigation Manager and a Certified Crop Advisor.

William N. Baker, B.A., Principal, William Baker & Associates, LLC. Baker is a licensed Pest Control Advisor, Certified Arborist, and Certified Golf Course Superintendent with over 25 years' experience. He is a consultant on turf and tree issues, including international consulting for urban forestry. Two golf courses for which he was superintendent ranked in Golf Digest's Top 100. Baker has hosted nine nationally televised golf tournaments during his career. He is past president of three golf course superintendents associations and is past president of the Southern California Turfgrass Council.

Joe Liebentritt, M.S., Instructor, Scottsbluff Public School District, Nebraska. Liebentritt has over 20 years of experience in public education. He is a former administrator, who has served as an evaluator for other math instructors and written alternative math curriculum for different school districts. He has also been involved in a variety of different integrated math programs from UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Reza Allahyari, Ph.D., Chemistry Instructor, Riverside Community College. Dr. Allahyari has been teaching college-level chemistry courses for over 20 years. He has presented
his research dealing with environmental contaminants such as pesticides at the American Chemical Society national meetings several times.

Janet Hartin, M.S., Environmental Horticulture Advisor, University of California, Cooperative Extension, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. Hartin's position involves developing and conducting applied research and education programs in
turfgrass and landscape irrigation management, integrated pest management and low-input maintenance landscapes. She has participated in over 300 seminars and workshops directed at turfgrass and landscape clientele over her 19-year career with the University of California, and has served as chair of the Southern Region University of California Assembly Council and Awards Committee and chair of the University of California Turfgrass Workshop.

Ronald Gregory, ASLA, Landscape Architect, Ronald Gregory and Associates, Palm Desert. Gregory has had over 30 years of design experience and has won numerous design awards for his resort design work. In 1996, he established Pinnacle Design Company, a firm specializing exclusively in golf course landscape architectural design. RGA and Pinnacle have worked on many highly regarded golf courses in the southwest, including Mission Hills North in Rancho Mirage, the Quarry in La Quinta, Estancia in Scottsdale, Arizona, Primm Valley in Stateline, Nevada, Tradition in La Quinta, and The Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe.

Manuel Mundo-Ocampo, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, Department of Nematology, UC Riverside. Mundo-Ocampo has been involved in the areas of agriculture and ornamental horticulture for over 25 years. He has taught nematode and fungal disease of tropical crops in Mexico and has assisted with and/or participated in courses and workshops at UC Riverside's Department of Nematology. He currently consults for USAID programs on technology transfer in South America. In Mexico he has been exposed to several problems of the ornamental industry in the states of Morelos, Tabasco and Michoacan. Recently, he was selected to represent the southwestern region of the United States with the Ornamental Horticultural Society of Mexico.

David J. Roger, B.A., B.S., is a leader in California's urban forestry movement. As past president of the California Urban Forest Council and past chair of the California Urban Forestry Council to the State of California, Roger worked to promote a greater understanding of urban forestry. He has facilitated and given numerous presentations to groups throughout the state on various aspects of the field. David J. Roger received his B.S. degree from Cal Poly Pomona in Ornamental Horticulture. He has worked for the Cities of West Covina, Claremont and Riverside managing their parks and urban forests. Roger's duties included the maintenance and care of rose gardens. During his 25 years in the industry, Roger has facilitated and given numerous presentations to groups throughout the state on various aspects of horticulture.