Mark C. Starrett Associate Professor of Horticulture Dept. of Plant and Soil Science 63 Carrigan Drive Jeffords Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0082 Phone: (802) 656-0467 FAX: (802) 656-4656 E-mail: Mark.Starrett@uvm.edu Academic Appointment: 100% General Fund, 9-month. Tenured. Education: Ph.D. North Carolina State Univ., Dept. of Horticultural Science. Dec. 1996 MS: North Carolina State Univ., Dept. of Horticultural Science. Dec. 1992 BS: University of Delaware, Dept. of Plant and Soil Science. May 1987 Professional Experience: Assistant Professor of Horticulture, Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont (1997 2003) Instructor. North Carolina State Univ., Dept. of Horticultural Science. (1996) Summer Intern. Syngenta Co. (formerly Novartis Corp. & Ciba-Geigy Corp.), Seeds Biotechnology Research Unit, Research Triangle Park, NC. (1992 1995) Instructor. North Carolina State Univ., Dept. of Horticultural Science. (1994) Biologist. American Cyanamid Co., Plant Biotech. Div., Princeton, NJ. (1987-1990) Teaching Experience: Home and Garden Horticulture (PSS 010: 3 credits). Typical enrollment: 200 students. Home and Garden Horticulture labs (PSS 015: 1 credit). Three - four labs of 24 students. Commercial Plant Propagation with two labs (PSS 138: 4 credits). Typical enrollment: 36 students. Woody Landscape Plants with two labs (PSS 125: 4 credits). Typical enrollment: 15 students. Other courses taught include: Plant Science and Nursery Management. Administrative Activities, Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, UVM: Internship Coordinator for Sustainable Landscape Horticulture majors, 07 - present Coordinator of Graduate Programs, 98 08 Instructional Program Coordinator. Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont 03 04 Committee Activities, Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, UVM: Undergraduate Advisory Committee 97 08 (member), 09 present (Chair) Graduate Advisory Committee (Chair), 99 08
STARRETT - 2 Committee Activities, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, UVM: Studies Committee (elected position), 97-00 (member) and 00-present (Chair) UVM Greenhouse Advisory Committee, 99 present UVM Farm Advisory Board, 98 08 Committee Activities Outside the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences but within UVM: Educational and Research Technologies Committee, 09 - present Departmental Representative to the Faculty Senate, 97-01, 08 present CALS Representative to the UVM Campus Master Planning Committee, 10-present Landscape Sub-Committee of the UVM Campus Master Planning Committee, 02 present Committee Activities, External to UVM: Northeast Region of the American Society for Horticultural Science. President, 03-04 Northeast Region of the American Society for Horticultural Science: Collegiate Awards Committee 00 04 ( 02, Chair) American Society for Horticultural Science: Collegiate Activities Committee 00 04 ( 01-02, Vice Chair; 02-03 Chair) New England Cary Award Plant Selection Committee (Representative from Vermont), Worchester County Horticultural Society, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boyleston, MA. 98 - present Vermont Technical College (VTC) Horticulture Curriculum Advisory Council Member. Randolph, VT. 98 - present Major Grants Funded: USDA/CRS HATCH Grant ( 06-07): Media top-dress amendments for prevention of select weeds in container-grown ornamental crops in greenhouse or nursery production. PI: Mark C. Starrett. Requested and Received: $14,204 USDA/CRS HATCH Grant ( 03-06): Media top-dress amendments for prevention and control of liverworts in container-grown crops. PI: Mark C. Starrett. Requested: $27,087 Received: $26,755 USDA/CRS HATCH Grant ( 03-06): Grafting of sugar maple to improve salt tolerance PI: Mark C. Starrett. Requested: $17,559 Received: $17,559 Minor Grants Funded: The University of Vermont Technology Innovation Fund ( 12): Labeling Campus Trees Using Interactive QR Codes with Associated Weblinks. $3,659
STARRETT - 3 Published Papers - Refereed Journal Articles Starrett, M.C. 2003. Initial Shoot Growth and Development of Micropropagated Blueberry Plants Following Inoculation with an Ericoid Mycorrhizal Isolate. Acta Horticulturae. Berry crop breeding, production and utilization for a new century. Proceedings of the XXVI International Horticultural Congress, Toronto, Canada, 11-17 August 2002. 626:191-197. Gorman, N.R. and M.C. Starrett. 2003. Host range of a select isolate of the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus, Hymenoscyphus ericae. HortScience. 38(6):1163-1166. Gorman, N.R. and M.C. Starrett. 2003. Screening commercial peat and peat-based products for the presence of ericoid mycorrhizae. J. Environ. Hort. 21(1):30-33. Starrett, M.C, D.A. Heleba and A.R. Wheeler. 2003. Use of an ericoid mycorrhizal fungus to improve rooting and acclimatization of difficult-to-root microshoots of select cultivars of Rhododendron. J. Amer. Rhododendron Soc. 57(2):66-71. Starrett, M.C., F.A. Blazich, S.R. Shafer, and L.F. Grand. 2001. In vitro establishment of mycorrhizae on microshoots of Pieris floribunda. HortScience. 36:353-356. Starrett, M.C., F.A. Blazich, S.R. Shafer, and L.F. Grand. 2001. In vitro ericoid mycorrhizal colonization of micropropagated Pieris floribunda and subsequent effect on acclimatization and growth. HortScience. 36:357-359. Morris, S.W., B.Vernooij, S. Titatarn, M. Starrett, S. Thomas, C.C. Wiltse, R.A. Frederiksen, A. Bhandhufalck, S. Hulbert and S. Uknes. Induced Resistance Responses in Maize. 1998. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 11:643-658. Uknes, S., B. Vernooij, S. Morris, D. Chandler, N. Specker, M. Hunt, U. Neuenschwander, K. Lawton, M. Starrett, L. Friedrich, K. Weymann, D. Negrotto, J. Görlach, M. Lanahan, J. Salmeron, E. Ward, H. Kessmann, and J. Ryals. 1996. Reduction of risk for growers: Methods for the development of disease-resistant crops. New Phytol. 133:3-10. Starrett, M.C, F.A. Blazich, J.R. Acedo, and S.L.Warren. 1993. Micropropagation of Pieris floribunda. J. Environ. Hort. 11:191-195. Starrett, M.C., F.A. Blazich, and S.L. Warren. 1993. Initial growth of rosebay rhododendron seedlings as influenced by day and night temperatures. HortScience 28:705-707. Blazich, F.A., S.L. Warren, M.C. Starrett, and J.R. Acedo. 1993. Seed germination of Rhododendron carolinianum: Influence of light and temperature. J. Environ. Hort. 11:55-58. Starrett, M.C., F.A. Blazich, and S.L. Warren. 1992. Seed germination of Pieris floribunda: Influence of light and temperature. J. Environ. Hort. 10:121-124.
STARRETT - 4 Faculty Advisor for URECA! (Undergraduate Research Endeavors Competitive Awards) Cameron Stern. Improving Hemerocallis (daylily) breeding techniques using diploid and tetraploid conversions. Presented as a poster at The University of Vermont Student Research Day April, 2012 Cole Downing. Comparison of auxin-talc treatments in apple graft union formation. Research presented as a poster at the International Plant Propagators Society Meeting, Montreal, Canada. September, 2007. Cole Downing, Mark Starrett, Philip Lintilhac and John Bennink. 2007. Comparison of auxin-talc treatments in apple graft union formation. Combined Proceedings International Plant Propagators Society. 57: 165-170. Faculty Advisor for SUGR/FAME (Stimulate Undergraduate and Graduate Research (SUGR) with Faculty Mentoring (FAME): Bess L. Oland Seed Germination Performance and Initial Seedling Development in Conventional and Organic Soilless Germination Media UVM-OSP Funded: $2,095.00. Project presented as an oral paper at the American Society for Horticultural Science Meeting, Toronto, Canada. August 2002. Oland, B. and M.C. Starrett. 2002. Seed Germination Performance and Initial Seedling Development in Conventional and Organic Soilless Germination Media. XXVI th International Horticulture Congress. Syposium 23 Issues and Advances in Seed, Transplant Production, and Stand Establishment Research. 11 17 August. Toronto, Canada. p. 557. Faculty Advisor for SUGR/FAME (Stimulate Undergraduate and Graduate Research (SUGR) with Faculty Mentoring (FAME): (continued) Adam R. Wheeler Determining the Invasive Potential of Rhamnus frangula Asplenifolia (cutleaf buckthorn) and Rhamnus frangula Columnaris (columnar buckthorn) Based on Seed Germination in the Dark. UVM-OSP Funded: $1,533.00. Project presented as a poster at the American Society for Horticultural Science Meeting, Sacramento, California. August 2001. Wheeler, A. and M.C. Starrett. 2001. Determining the Invasive Potential of Rhamnus frangula Asplenifolia (cutleaf buckthorn) and Rhamnus frangula Columnaris (columnar buckthorn) Based on Seed Germination. HortScience 36:515.
STARRETT - 5 Honors and Awards: NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture), Teaching Award of Merit ( 11) Dr. Mark C. Starrett Day, (July 20, 2010) proclaimed by the Major of the City Of Burlington for dedicated service through city-wide beautification through horticulture. Burlington Garden Club Certificate of Appreciation for sustained joint efforts in city beautification projects. ( 10) APGA/Longwood Gardens University Faculty Travel Grant recipient ( 08) The Fraternity of Alpha Zeta Outstanding Senior Advisor Award ( 05) University of Vermont Dept. of Student Life Outstanding Advisor Award ( 04) American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) - Recipient of the Outstanding Book Award for an Extension Publication for the book, Landscape Plants for Vermont. Coauthored by Professor Emeritus Norman Pellett ( 03) NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture), Teacher Fellow Award ( 02) University of Vermont, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Joseph E. Carrigan Award for Excellence in Teaching and Undergraduate Education ( 02) The Fraternity of Alpha Zeta Outstanding Senior Advisor Award ( 00) University of Vermont Dept. of Student Life Outstanding Advisor Award ( 00) (Revised April 30, 2012)