Dr. Julie Dionne will join the team at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, University of Guelph in the position of Turf Management Faculty with the Department of Plant Agriculture.

     Coordinator of the turf program at the Horticultural Research Centre at Laval University, where she also completed her B.Sc. (1993) and Ph.D. in Plant Science (2001), Dr. Dionne has, since 1999, supervised five graduate students working in Quebec on different aspects of turf management, two of which will join her at Guelph in January. She also brings to the position her experience growing up in the horticulture industry. Her parents owned a garden centre, nursery and landscaping company, while her grandparents worked as greenhouse flower growers. Dr. Dionne looks forward to working with the Guelph Turfgrass Institute’s research team, developing a strong research program that addresses both applied and basic research challenges. Her research interests include the physiology and ecophysiology of turfgrass species in relation to environmental stress tolerance to extreme temperature, drought and anaerobic conditions.

     “I think it is very important to work closely with the turfgrass industry,” says Dr. Dionne, “and there is tremendous potential for the development of on-site research projects that provide both important information and an educational opportunity for participating industry professionals.” Dr. Dionne will divide her time between an office in the Bovey Building on the University of Guelph campus and the Guelph Turfgrass Institute. She can be contacted by telephone at (519) 824-4120, ext. 2232 or by e-mail at jdionne@uoguelph.ca.