Prairie Turfgrass Research Centre at Olds College Hires Prominent Canadian Turf Researcher

As part of the recently announced $2.3 million NSERC grant awarded to the Prairie Turfgrass Research Centre at Olds College in Alberta, Kathleen Dodson was recently hired by the PTRC as the new Turfgrass Research Scientist.  

Kathleen (Katie), a PhD student at the University of Guelph, comes to Olds with a long list of credentials that includes most recently being employed as the Senior Turgrass Research Scientist position with Simplot – Jacklin Seed in the Spoakane WA area.

Katie’s education includes a degree from Dalhousie, her Masters from Washington State University and Guelph University where she is currently concluding her PhD thesis, ‘Optimization of cultural practices to promote greater turf density in a pesticide-free environment for both sports fields and lawn-type turfgrass swards.’ 

Dodson brings a somewhat unique perspective to turf research.  As the former Assistant Superintendent at Mountain View Golf Club in Whitehorse, Canada’s most northern championship golf course, she learned first-hand, the challenges in maintaining high play quality under extreme Canadian conditions and has been able to apply that experience to her research. 

Turf could well be part of Katie’s DNA as her father, Paul Dodson, is the well-respected, long-time superintendent at the Silver Springs Golf and Country Club in Calgary.  One can only wonder what the holiday dinner conversations are like in the Dodson household!

Katie Dodson, seen here at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute turf research plots