PTC Names Graduate Fellowships for Three PSU Turfgrass Icons

One prepared golf courses for major tournaments, including the Masters, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, over his 38 years as a golf course superintendent. One followed in his mentor’s footsteps, serving as golf course superintendent for several professional tournaments at some of the country’s best-known courses. One is a highly accomplished Penn State faculty member who advises the National Football League on ways to make its fields safer for players.

In addition to being nationally recognized figures in their fields, Paul Latshaw, Matthew Shaffer and Andrew McNitt have something else in common: They are all alumni of Penn State turfgrass programs.

To honor their contributions to the turfgrass and sports surface industries, the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council recently established three graduate fellowships in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Plant Science.

The council took advantage of the recently concluded Graduate Scholarship Matching Program, an initiative of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” the University’s current $1.6 billion fundraising campaign. The council’s three gifts of $200,000 were doubled through the match, resulting in a $1.2 million influx of funds for the turfgrass science program.

The Paul R. Latshaw Turfgrass Graduate Fellowship, the Matthew G. Shaffer Turfgrass Graduate Fellowship and the Andrew S. McNitt Turfgrass Graduate Fellowship for Improvement of Sports Turf Surfaces will help attract and retain high-achieving, creative and innovative advanced-degree candidates who will conduct research on topics such as plant disease, insect threats, soils, fertilizers, water management, creating safer sports fields and much more.

Alumni Updates

Gale O. Hultquist (2-year, ‘78) recently retired from Wanakah Country Club in Hamburg, New York.

David M. McGhee (2-year, ’63) is now retired.

Randy Scott (2-year, ‘72) is now retired, but is still doing consulting for two clubs around Montreal. He spends his free time cycling in both Canada and the USA. 7

We’re excited to welcome the 2-year program Class of 2020 to Penn State!

Left to Right: David Kostenbauder, Daniel Allison, Paul Baich, Kevan McDonald, Brennen MacDougall, Cody Sander, Levar Brown, Jack Whitney, Jeremy Eggeman, Spencer Hoffman, Vikas Panday, Kyle Weloth.