One Week at Waterman: Spring

Planting good intentions. Grad student Jade Juniper digs into her passion for gardening by planting romaine at the Garden of Hope. She helps manage the 2.5-acre plot alongside Glenn Mills, facility manager at Waterman, under the guidance of Dr. Colleen Spees. Each year, registered dietitians select a diverse mix of vegetables for their health benefits. The garden supports evidence-based nutrition programs for cancer patients, who plant, harvest, and cook the produce at the Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building. This year’s fresh addition? Edible medicinal flowers.

Seeing spots. By the time tomato plants show signs of bacterial leaf spot, it’s often too late. Grad student Gaoshoutong Si (on the left) and Associate Professor Peter Ling (Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering) are staying one step ahead. Using sensors and software, their system detects disease at the cellular level using light reflection, before visible symptoms appear. Focusing on the plant canopy, their method reflects real-world growing conditions. Early detection gives producers time to act and protect their crops. Bonus: This tech works remotely, making it a promising tool for managing plant health in space.

Igniting insights. One prairie, three cross-disciplinary goals. At Waterman Lab, scientists conducted a prescribed burn on a former soybean field turned prairie to support a trio of projects. Katie Jenkins, assistant professor of landscape architecture, uses fire to control invasive species and protect native plants in her ecological restoration project. Nearby, Mrinal Kumar’s team from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering trained drones equipped with thermal and hyperspectral cameras to track fire movement. Grad student Ziyu Dong placed sensors to record fire temperatures and model fire dynamics—linking plant types, terrain, and burn patterns. Her advisor, Roger Williams, of the School of Environment and Natural Resources, said fires occur twice as often on the East Coast as the wildfire-prone West. Their work will help forecast fire behavior, develop management guidelines, and reduce risk in populated areas.

Signature event. Donors, project members, and stakeholders like Devin Fuhrman (pictured), Nationwide’s chief agricultural and sponsor relations officer, signed their names to a structural beam in the Multispecies Animal Learning Complex May 22, celebrating the completion of the building framework. The project stands at 63% complete, with an end of year target for opening. Construction crews are installing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inside the MALC, with more concrete flooring and masonry walls going up in the attached barns. Pass by Waterman and you’ll see the steel structure of the Dairy taking shape. The excitement builds as we imagine the livestock shows, classes, and educational tours soon possible thanks to the new building. See more progress photos on the Time and Change: Building the Future website.

Growing curiosity. What could be more fun than getting your hands dirty and playing with plants, insects, and soil? Our third annual We Grow Scientists event! This collaboration with COSI’s Science Festival Community Event on April 30 saw over 650 visitors engaging in hands-on STEAM activities at Waterman. Pictured here: Laura Deeter, director of the Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens, hands a curious pre-schooler a pathos cutting to take home. Visitors strolled inside our state-of-the-art Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Complex and interacted with departmental faculty and staff at 35 stops to complete their passport. Do you have a budding scientist in your house? Check us out next April!

Bugged about your lawn? If skunks are tearing up your lawn, white grubs might be to blame. These pests feed on grass roots, causing patches of dead turf. Research Associate Henry Rice gears up for a pesticide trial led by Assistant Professor Shaohui Wu at the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Research and Education Facility. The project compares spray and granular treatments for an industry partner, aiming to stop grubs before they mature. While most experts recommend treatments in May and again in fall, Wu’s team is testing whether a single application in June could do the trick — reducing pesticide use and keeping lawns greener with less.

Soak it in. This rain garden doesn’t just look good — it filters runoff, supports pollinators, and teaches sustainability in action. The Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building’s green roof helps channel rainwater into a nearby rain garden where Master Gardener volunteers handle routine maintenance. Native plants like cardinal flower, blue flag iris, swamp milkweed, chokeberry, spicebush, and a River birch thrive in the sunken garden bed, designed to soak up and filter runoff. By diverting stormwater from the roof and parking lot, the garden helps recharge groundwater and reduce pressure on city drainage systems. In 2023, the American Institute of Architects honored the building for its sustainable design.