“The Charles Student Research Competition” has been named in honor of Dr. Charles Gilliam, former Professor of Horticulture at Auburn University, and Mr. Charlie Parkerson, originator of the student competition.
Celebrating Excellence in Research: This competition provides students with a unique opportunity to showcase their research while connecting with some of the most respected nursery and green industry professionals in the Southern United States. The IPPS Southern Region offers four annual awards to recognize outstanding original research focused on horticultural crop production in the southern USA.
2025 Winners
🥇 1st Place – Sisi Chen
University: University of Florida
Title: Advancing Tropical Hibiscus Breeding Through Pest and Disease Resistance Screening
Email: sisi.chen@ufl.edu
🥈 2nd Place – Martha Vilchez
University: University of Florida
Title: Evaluating Wood Materials Made from Hammermilled Heat-Treated Boards as Peat Moss Alternatives in Greenhouse Production of Tomato and Marigold
Email: mvilchezherrera@ufl.edu
🥉 3rd Place – Yan Zhang
University: University of Georgia
Title: Can Organic Mulches Effectively Manage Thrips parvispinus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Ornamental Plants?
Email: yz24373@uga.edu
4th Place – Masroor UI Syed
University: University of Texas–Tyler
Title: MagCount: A Digital Framework for Automated Counting of Southern Magnolias for Inventory Management in Nurseries
Email: msyed6@patriots.uttyler.edu
Poster Presentation – Megan Gibb
University: University of Florida
Title: Replacing Some Peat with Sugarcane Bagasse Biochar Can Improve Nutrient Retention in Floriculture Production
Email: megangibb@ufl.edu
Poster Presentation – Shuwen Luo
University: University of Georgia
Title: The Effects of Gibberellic Acid, Nitrate, and Scarification on Osmanthus fragrans Seed Germination
Email: Shuwen.Luo@uga.edu
Poster Presentation – Harshitha Manjunatha
University: University of Texas–Tyler
Title: AI-Driven Tool for High-Dimensional Phenotyping of Floral Health in Roses Using Hyperspectral Imaging
Email: Harshitha.manjunatha@ut-dallas.edu