Research Committee Members

Matt Pringle, Ph.D. – Managing Director, Green Section

Matt Pringle, Ph. D., has been with the USGA since 2000 after completing his doctoral thesis at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His contributions to the USGA include the invention and co-invention of the pendulum test for spring effect in drivers, the USGA turf firmness measurement system, the USGA’s GrooveScan portable groove measurement system,and he was a leader of the USGA and R&A’s Distance Insights project. In 2020, Pringle began leading the USGA’s Green Section as it celebrated its 100th anniversary. The mission of the Green Section is “Better turf, for better golf, at lower cost” helping turf managers make the most of critical resources like labor, water, nutrients, pesticides, and energy.

Pringle graduated from Queen’s University (1993) in Kingston, Ontario, Canada with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He then joined the consulting engineering firm of Hatch Associates in Toronto, Ontario, Canada prior to pursuing his doctorate. Pringle is married to Dr. Tracy Clarke-Pringle, a process control expert with DuPont in Wilmington, DE. They have two daughters, Campbell and Reilly, and live in Pinehurst, NC, the cradle of golf in America.

Cole Thompson, Ph.D. — Director, Turfgrass and Environmental Research, USGA Green Section

Dr. Cole Thompson oversees the USGA Green Section's turfgrass and environmental research initiatives to improve sustainability and advance turfgrass science principles that enhance management practices for golf courses. With input from a volunteer committee and from university and industry scientists, Thompson determines short- and long-term research priorities, solicits and evaluates research proposals, supports cooperative research funding opportunities with federal agencies and industry, and coordinates with USGA-supported scientists to monitor the progress of current research.

Thompson earned a B.S. in agriculture and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture from Kansas State University. He was a USGA Green Section intern and worked as an assistant golf course superintendent before entering graduate school. Before joining the USGA in 2018, Cole held faculty positions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.

Dale Bremer, Ph.D. – Professor Emeritus, Kansas State University

Dale Bremer, Ph.D. conducts applied and basic research primarily in the areas of water conservation, drought stress, and greenhouse gas fluxes in turfgrass (for example, carbon sequestration). He investigates the use of new technologies such as drones, remote sensing, and soil moisture sensors to improve turfgrass management practices. He also advises and teaches graduate and undergraduate students in turfgrass science.

Joshua Friell, Ph.D. – Chief Research Scientist, The Toro Company

Joshua Friell, Ph.D., joined Toro in 2014 and serves as Chief Research Scientist in the Center for Advanced Turf Technology (CATT). As a member of the CATT team, he is working to address Green Industry challenges through innovative technology and solutions. Friell completed his Ph.D. in applied plant sciences at the University of Minnesota studying the impact of salt on cool-season grasses. He previously worked for Toro as a product evaluation engineer and actively engaged turf and landscape managers to improve product performance based on customer input. A Wisconsin native, Friell holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota and a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Penn State University.

James Murphy, Ph.D. – Turfgrass Management Extension Specialist, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

James Murphy, Ph.D., researches and develops best management practices that enhance the stress tolerance, persistence and environmental benefits of turf. His current research projects include developing cultural practices to reduce anthracnose and dollar spot diseases, identifying turfgrass varieties that are more tolerant of traffic, identifying grass seed mixtures that perform better under low input management, and assessing turf persistence and performance under organic management.

Clark Throssell, Ph.D. – Turfgrass Scientist, Turfgrass R&D, Inc.

Clark Throssell, Ph.D., is a self-employed turf science consultant who works with the turfgrass industry on technical and scientific issues. He is the former director of the Purdue University Turf Program and the former director of research for the GCSAA.

Scott Warnke, Ph.D. – Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS

Scott Warnke, Ph.D., conducts genetic research on plants used as turfgrasses. He identifies and develops enhanced germplasm from wild species that express improved biotic and abiotic stress resistance and develops improved turfgrasses using new technologies like molecular markers and genomics.

Mike Kenna, Ph.D. – Consultant, National Grass Science

Dr. Michael P. Kenna was the director of the USGA Green Section research program from 1990-2019 and oversaw the USGA’s turfgrass and environmental research activities, including soliciting and evaluating research proposals, grant making, and developing cooperative funding with government and commercial sources. He has worked closely with the US Department of Agriculture on water and energy conservation research that relates to golf courses and has served as an editor on several books concerning turfgrass biotechnology, environmental issues, and water conservation and reuse. Prior to joining the USGA, Dr. Kenna was an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University from 1985-1990.

Dr. Kenna received his B.S. in ornamental horticulture from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. While at Oklahoma State University, he received his M.S. in agronomy and Ph.D. in crop science. His graduate studies involved turf and forage grass breeding, quantitative genetics, plant physiology, and turfgrass management.

Rick Latin, Ph.D. – Professor Emeritus, Purdue University

Dr. Richard Latin is a professor emeritus in plant pathology at Purdue University. He earned his B.S. at Waynesburg (PA) College and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Penn State University. He was recognized as a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society and received the GCSAA Col. John Morley Distinguished Career Award in 2018.

During his tenure at Purdue, Dr. Latin’s research focused on contemporary issues related to turf disease control, including weather-based decision support, fungicide resistance in turf pathogens, and factors that influence fungicide performance. He authored the industry standard textbook, “A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides” (2021, APS Press). Dr. Latin currently works as an academic and industry consultant in Pinehurst, NC.

Ben McGraw, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Penn State University

Dr. Ben McGraw is an associate professor of turfgrass science at Penn State University specializing in insect pest management. He obtained his M.S. in entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Ph.D. in entomology from Rutgers University. Dr. McGraw’s research focuses on understanding insect ecology and behavior to develop sustainable turf pest management practices. His current projects in the McGraw Lab combine basic and applied approaches to better understand population dynamics and outbreaks to improve cultural and chemical controls, and to develop alternative control strategies.

Beth Guertal, Ph.D. – Professor Emeritus, Auburn University

Dr. Beth Guertal was a Rowe Endowed Professor in the Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences Department at Auburn University where she has been a professor in some capacity since 1993. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Ohio State University, and her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Her research has focused on soil fertility issues in turfgrass management. During her career she has served as a technical editor for Crop Science, and as an associate editor for the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Journal, and the Crop Science (CSSA) and Agronomy (ASA) Journals. She is a past-chair of Division C-5 (Turfgrass Management, CSSA), a Fulbright Fellow, and a CSSA, SSSA, and ASA Fellow. She served as President of the CSSA in 2019.

Recently, Guertal was the director for the Center of Excellence on Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience to Climate Change in Haiti, led by the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL) at Kansas State University. While there, she supported the development of the individual university plans, oversaw the capacity development of the Haitian faculty, and provided guidance on the scientific aspects of their applied research.

Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D. – Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Dr. Roch Gaussoin is a professor and extension coordinator in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his B.S. and M.S. in agronomy from New Mexico State University, and his Ph.D. in crop and soil sciences from Michigan State University. His studies have concentrated on weed science and turfgrass rootzones. Dr. Gaussoin has conducted academic research and served as a turfgrass extension specialist for more than 25 years.

In his career, he has published more than 100 scientific papers, seven book chapters, over 150 trade journal articles, and is a co-inventor on four plant patents. He is a past President of the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), the scientific society of the majority of US and international turfgrass scientists. He has also been elected as a Fellow in both the CSSA and the Agronomy Society of America (ASA), the highest individual recognition in both societies.

Matteo Serena, Ph.D. – Senior Manager, Irrigation Research and Services, USGA Green Section

Matteo Serena, Ph.D., joined the USGA in 2022. As senior manager of irrigation research and services, Dr. Serena works with superintendents, researchers, allied golf associations, and other stakeholders to advance water conservation on golf courses. Dr. Serena has more than a decade of experience researching turfgrass irrigation and water conservation strategies.

Dr. Serena received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Padua. He earned his Ph.D. in plant and environmental sciences from New Mexico State University, where he continued as a research assistant professor before joining the University of California, Riverside.

Daniel O’Brien, Ph.D. – Manager, Green Section Research, USGA Green Section

Dr. Daniel O’Brien joined the USGA in 2024 as Green Section research manager, based in Pinehurst, NC. In his role, O’Brien provides support for Green Section research activities, including the Mike Davis Program for Advancing Golf Course Management, the 15/30/45 Water Conservation Initiative, and other cooperative and internal research efforts.

O’Brien earned his B.S. at Auburn University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas. Prior to joining the USGA, he worked as a sports field manager in Maryland and Alabama. During his time in graduate school, Dr. O’Brien worked as a research technician. His graduate research focused largely on technologies for evaluating putting green surfaces and on turfgrass soil surfactants.

Mr. Zach Nicoludis – Regional Director, Central Region, USGA Green Section

Zach Nicoludis is the regional director of the Central Region for the USGA Green Section's Course Consulting Service. Zach joined the Green Section in the spring of 2016 and is based in Columbus, Ohio. He conducts on-site visits as well as educational outreach throughout the Central Region.

Working on a golf course during high school inspired Zach to pursue a degree in turfgrass science at Penn State University. Upon completing his degree, he worked as an assistant superintendent at St. Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, French Creek Golf Club in Elverson, Pennsylvania, and Bidermann Golf Course in Wilmington, Delaware. Zach went on to become the superintendent of the South Course at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, where he spent four years before joining the USGA Green Section.

Jordan Booth, Ph.D. – Senior Director, Course Consulting Service, USGA Green Section

Based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Dr. Jordan Booth leads the Course Consulting Service and conducts consulting visits in North Carolina and beyond. He joined the Green Section after working for Virginia Tech in turfgrass research and extension. Prior to his time at Virginia Tech, Jordan was the golf course superintendent at Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond, Virginia.

Booth is a graduate of Clemson University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in turfgrass management. After working in golf course maintenance for over a decade, Jordan pursued research at Virginia Tech, resulting in both master’s and doctoral degrees in plant pathology, physiology and weed science.