An interview with Dr. Tim Durham

Dr. Tim Durham
by Nicole Casuso | DPM Newsletter Fall 2014

Q. Please describe your academic background.
A. I received an AAS in Horticulture and Greenhouse Management from Suffolk County Community College. Thanks to an articulation agreement, I transferred to Cornell University, where I received a BS in Plant Science. Later, I was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for postgraduate study at Lincoln University, New Zealand, where I received a Postgraduate Diploma (P.G. Dip.) in Applied Science. Immediately upon my return to the US, I enrolled in the DPM program at UF.

Q. What is your current occupation and how has your DPM degree aided you in the occupational tasks and responsibilities?
A. I’m currently an Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Agriculture Program Coordinator at Ferrum College, a small liberal arts institution in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The DPM degree has been an invaluable asset. In essence, it allows me to act as a disciplinary linguist – switching dialects on the fly. For example, over the course of a day I can: 1) discuss the use of braconids as biocontrols with colleagues, 2) interpret a soil test report in class, and 3) work with students on a calibration lab at the campus farm.