TWCA Award Recipients (2024–2022)

Recognizing excellence in turfgrass water conservation. Select a year to explore recipients.

2024

Category Place Recipient Institution Presentation Title
Oral1Michael RabeMichigan State UniversityComparing Variable Depth and Capillary Hydroponic System Rootzones for Sustainable Putting Green Management
Oral2Ashton FranksTexas A&M UniversityCultivation Strategies for Improving Soil Physical/Chemical Properties in Highly Compacted and Sodium Degraded Fairways
Oral3Patrick McLoughlinUniversity of FloridaNutrient Leaching in Turfgrass: Effects of Recycled Wastewater as Irrigation Source
Poster1Maranda MorrowThe Ohio State UniversityBacterial Biostimulants Effect of Creeping Bentgrass: Examining Root Elongation in Response to Decreasing Water Potential
Poster2Emmanuel NwachukwuKansas State UniversityGermination and Establishment Speed Differences of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars
Poster3Prabha AdhikariOklahoma State UniversityDrought Resistance Mechanisms in Bermudagrass
Advocacy Grant—Not specified——

2023

Category Place Recipient Institution Presentation Title
Oral—Travis RobersonVirginia TechEstimating Golf Course Irrigation Efficiency Using Thermal Aerial Imagery
Oral—Karem Meza CapchaUtah State UniversitySpatial Estimation of Actual Evapotranspiration and Turfgrass Quality on Golf Courses Using Remote Sensing Information
Oral—Michael RabeMichigan State UniversityComparing Variable-Depth and Capillary Hydroponic System Rootzones for Sustainable Putting Green Management
Poster—Antonio VerzottoPurdue UniversityCool-Season Species Response to Four Lawn Irrigation Programs in the Midwest
Poster—William ErricksonRutgers UniversityNeeds Assessment for Remote Sensing- and Machine Learning-Guided Precision Turfgrass Irrigation Programs
Poster—Ashley BeazerBrigham Young UniversityCool Season Hybrid Bermudagrass: Drought Tolerance Compared to Kentucky Bluegrass
Advocacy Grant—Michael RabeMichigan State University—

2022

Category Place Recipient Institution Presentation Title
Oral—Patrick McLoughlin—Nutrient Leaching from Warm-Season Turfgrass Systems in Association with Water Quality and Nitrogen Sources
Oral—Haynes Lafferty—Soil Water Dynamics Across Golf Course Fairways
Poster—I. Sierra Augustinus—Combined Effect of Water Quality and Nitrogen Sources on Warm-Season Grasses Performance and N Absorption
Poster—Antonio Verzotto—Kentucky Bluegrass Response to Summer Irrigation Frequency
Poster—Jose Diaz—Consumptive Water Use of Warm-Season Turf Cultivars in the South-Central United States