Student Profiles
The department has a diverse group of students in nationality, gender, as well as in their field of emphasis and research. And there is nobody better to describe our department than our students.
| Master of Agriculture | Master of Science | PhD | Recent Graduates |
| Ji Young Hong Floriculture |
Aime Lillard Plant/Human Interactions |
Ratnapraba Pecan Production |
Jennifer Burns Business Management |
| Andrew King Extension |
Ndambe Nzaramba |
Dr. James Spiers |
Aime Lillard
Nearing completion of my undergraduate program in Agricultural Leadership and Development I was faced with the same challenge of many young graduates, deciding where to go from there! I decided to work with Dr. Jayne Zajicek in the arena of People Plant Interactions, and it has become my passion.My current research looks at the effects of gardening on people’s quality of life, nutrition, and overall health. I am interested in the way gardens can be utilized in schools, care facilities, hospitals, and much more. Upon completion of my current degree I plan to pursue my PhD with Dr. Zajicek working on the relationships between school gardens, nutrition, and academic achievement.
Andrew King
When you are born into a family that has made its living in the nursery industry for almost a century you either love horticulture or you hate it. I began to love it while obtaining my B.S. at Stephen F. Austin State University. When I discovered my desire to work on a graduate degree, Texas A&M was the natural choice.
My interests in horticulture lie in the fields of plant propagation and plant selection. The research that I am currently working on deals with the asexual propagation of Baldcypress and its challenges. Though not set in stone, my plans for after graduation are to pursue a Ph.D here at Texas A&M, while continuing to work to solve problems that face the horticulture industry.
There is no place in the world like Texas A&M and there is no better University to call home.
Ratnapraba
I have a strong background in horticulture since I received my Bachelors Degree in Agriculture from India. I always wanted to do my M.S. and Ph.D. to gain better insight in this area and to pursue it overseas was my big dream. I took my M.S. in Plant Science from University of Idaho in Fall 2006. I joined Texas A & M in Spring 2007. I am very glad to be in A& M as it is one of the best and top schools for Agriculture in the US. Under the guidance of Dr. Leonardo Lombardini, I am doing my research on crop load management aspect in Pecan trees. I cannot be more happy for being in horticulture department as the faculty, staff and other graduate students here are always there at the other end when I need them the most. After I graduate, I would like to gain work experience and boost my work background.
Jennifer Burns
I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Horticulture and Entomology from Texas A& M in 2005. I felt that getting some extra education would give me an edge when I entered the workforce so I began working on a Master of Agriculture degree in Floriculture under Dr. Terri Starman. My degree emphasized application over research with a broader range of choices for classes and an internship. I focused more on business with management and marketing classes (which I didn’t get to take as an undergraduate). Eventually, I entered my internship at a business in Houston that specialized in selling orchids.
Currently, I am the Epiphyte Specialist at Shangri La Botanical Garden and Nature Center in Orange, Texas. I install and maintain plant collections in our Victorian greenhouse, the Epiphyte House. In addition, I maintain seasonal displays in our Display and Classroom Greenhouses in the gardens and supervise volunteers working in the garden greenhouses.