What is your position at the university?
I am an assistant professor and environmental horticulturist in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. I have a 75 percent teaching and 25 percent research appointment. I will be teaching plant propagation in the department and developing new courses that I hope will promote science literacy and equip students to tackle our biggest food system and landscape sustainability challenges. My research goal is to develop novel management tactics for specialty crop farmers that increase yield and reduce labor without jeopardizing environmental quality.
What drew you to the university?
I am a native of Elkhorn, Nebraska and a UNL alum, so I had always hoped I’d have the opportunity to return here as faculty. The state and university commitment to agriculture is inspiring and the envy of many institutions around the country; I was excited to join the wave of positive momentum in IANR.
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
My favorite part of working at a university is the diversity of students I get to work with and the different experiences and career goals they bring. In agronomy and horticulture, I get to work with students who have ambitions to invent new products and technologies, or start their own companies, farms or tree nurseries; and often with admirable goals of helping society solve major food system and environmental problems. The ambition and optimism of students is contagious and it’s what makes the university environment special.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
There are several research papers and grants that I’m especially proud of, but I think my greatest achievement so far is one that doesn’t show up on my CV. In my third year of teaching at the University of Illinois, a student stopped me on my way into the office one morning and said, “Dr. Wortman, I don’t know if you remember me, but I took your intro to horticulture class two years ago and it’s because of your class that I’m now a horticulture major, so thank you.” I know many other faculty have had similar experiences, but this moment reaffirmed my passion for and commitment to undergraduate education.
What is something that most people don't know about you?
My love for science, biology and eventually plants, started as an undergraduate research assistant in a lab studying turtles. I spent five months in Costa Rica researching leatherback sea turtles (the biggest of all turtles!) as part of a global conservation effort. We walked miles of beach every night for over six hours looking for nesting sea turtles (great exercise!), so that we could collect their eggs and relocate them to a protected nursery to be hatched and released. Ironically, it was during these five months that I decided my passion was for agriculture, not sea turtles, and that’s when I applied for graduate school in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska.
What is your life like outside of work?
My wife Suk, daughter Annie, 3, and son, Henry, 1, keep me plenty busy outside of work. Annie loves to play pretend and Henry loves to destroy anything Annie is playing with – it’s a fun, but always loud dynamic. I also love to play golf, tinker in the garden, and cheer for the Huskers and New York Yankees!