USU Extension Professor Receives National Crop Science Award

Kelly Kopp, Utah State University Extension turfgrass and water conservation specialist, was recently awarded the Crop Science Extension Education Award by the Crop Science Society of America. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to crop science through education, national and international service, and research.

Kopp is director of USU’s Center for Water Efficient Landscaping and professor in the USU Department of Plants, Soils & Climate. She is a recognized authority on turfgrass water use and nutrient dynamics, as well as landscape water use efficiency. She focuses her outreach efforts on sustainable turfgrass management, water conservation and drought response.

“Dr. Kopp’s skills in communication and addressing the needs of her clientele are central to her success in Extension,” said Paul Johnson, head of the Department of Plants, Soils & Climate. “The fact that she is routinely called upon to present at the most important scientific and professional venues is evidence of her ability to communicate ideas clearly and influence decisions and policy. We are very proud of her creative programming and many accomplishments.”

Kopp has received numerous awards for her work, including the United States Secretary of the Interior Cooperative Conservation Award in 2006. She has co-authored two books, three book chapters, and dozens of Extension fact sheets. She is the editor and writer for the Turfgrass IPM Advisory, a quarterly newsletter focusing on integrated pest management techniques to address turf insect pests, diseases and weeds, reaching more than 10,000 subscribers. She works directly with many federal, state and local agencies in pursuit of water use efficiency in the state of Utah, the Intermountain West, and beyond.

Kopp’s award will be formally presented this fall during the Crop Science Society of America’s annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.