Dr. Reagan W Hejl works at USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land
Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, USA. He received a B.S. in Agronomy
at Texas A&M University in 2011, an M.S. in Agronomy at Texas A&M
University in 2014, and a Ph.D. in Water Management & Hydrological Science
at Texas A&M University in 2021. His research is focused on applied
practices and technologies that support improved turfgrass management,
turfgrass quality, and ecosystem services in arid environments and aims to
produce sustainable approaches to irrigation and nutrient management. An
objective of this research is to reduce input requirements while maximizing the
benefits turfgrasses provide in the urban landscape.
Dr. Yanqi Wu is a
Regents Professor and holds the Meibergen Family Professorship in plant
breeding in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department at Oklahoma State
University. His current research is focused on the development of new
cultivars, and genetic and genomic research on important agronomic traits in bermudagrass
used for turf and forage, and switchgrass for bioenergy. Dr. Wu completed a
two-year (2004–2006) postdoctoral research with the USDA-ARS Plant Science
Research Laboratory, Stillwater, Oklahoma. He received his PhD in Crop Science
(Grass Breeding and Genetics) from Oklahoma State University in 2004. Before
coming to the US, he held a faculty position at Sichuan Agricultural University
in China from 1988 to 2000, with research and teaching responsibilities in
Forage and Turfgrass Sciences. Dr. Wu authored and coauthored 123 refereed
journal articles, 11 book chapters and one book. He was granted the 2010 Early
Career Award by the National Plant Breeders Association, the 2017 Tengtou
Agricultural Science Award by the American Society of Agronomy, and the 2018
Breeder’s Cup Award by the Turfgrass Breeders Association.
Dr. Clinton F Williams works at USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land
Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, USA. He received a B.A. in
Chemistry at Brigham Young University in 1992, an M.S. in Soil Physics at
Brigham Young University in 1995, and a Ph.D. in Soil Physics/Soil Chemistry at
the University of California, Riverside in 1998. He has been actively engaged
in environmental research focusing on water quality and quantity for over
twenty years. His current research is related to the environmental and human
health impacts of biologically active contaminants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, hormones,
and trace organics) found in reclaimed municipal wastewater and the associated
impacts on soil, biota, and natural waters in contact with wastewater. His
research also looks for ways to assess and minimize detrimental effects and
maximize benefits for food production and environmental protection when using
municipal wastewater for irrigation in both urban and agricultural settings.
