Student Life
Student life in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences continues to thrive as our students engage in hands‑on learning, leadership, and community-building opportunities. From the enthusiasm of our CRSS Student Ambassadors to the active involvement in organizations like SEADS and the Integrative Precision Agriculture Club, students are finding meaningful ways to connect their academic interests with real‑world experiences. Competitive teams such as the Weed Team and the CRSS SASES Quiz Bowl team further enrich this environment, offering memorable learning opportunities and fostering professional growth across the department.
CRSS Student Ambassadors
Our Student Ambassadors proudly represent the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at every event. Their enthusiasm, professionalism, and friendly presence help create meaningful connections between students, our department, and the broader UGA community.
Thank you, Crop and Soil Sciences Ambassadors, for all that you do!
Student Organizations
SEADS – Society of Environmental and Agronomic Developing Scientists
SEADS is a student organization that meets monthly to connect students with shared interests in environmental and agricultural studies.
The group is open to all students who are majoring, minoring, or simply interested in Crop and Soil Sciences.
SEADS Club members sitting together around tables playing a variety of board games.
IPAC - Integrative Precision Agriculture Club
IPAC is a student organization that meets biweekly. Membership is open to all students and staff at the University of Georgia.
IPAC also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including invited speaker sessions and social get-togethers to build a strong professional network.
The UGA Weed Team.
Weed Team
The most recent Weed Team contest was held on August 8, 2025, in Newport, Arkansas, with 16 students participating. Although none of our students placed in the events, the trip was still a valuable learning experience. On the way to the contest, we visited the Bogue Chitto Gin in Mississippi.
At the competition, students were tested on several areas: Weed Identification (from seeds to mature plants), Calibration (individual and team), Herbicide Symptomology Identification (recognizing symptoms from 25 herbicides), Farmer Problems, and a Mystery Event—this year featuring an extreme egg toss. Additional students from Tifton also participated in our practice day the week before the contest.
Quiz Bowl
The CRSS SASES Team traveled from Atlanta to Salt Lake City to attend the CANVAS meeting, where students competed on November 10th against university teams from across the United States in a trivia contest focused on agronomy, soils, and environmental science. After months of dedicated practice, the team advanced to the quarterfinals. Following the competition, students continued participating in the conference by attending academic sessions and professional development events centered on career exploration and workforce preparation.
This was the first year the CRSS SASES Team attended the CANVAS Conference and competed in the Quiz Bowl. The experience provided a valuable, hands-on learning opportunity that strengthened student engagement, academic excellence, and professional readiness. While some team members will graduate this spring, the remaining students are excited to build on this experience and continue participating in future academic competitions.
A huge thank you to the CAES Alumni Association Board of Directors for your support!
UGA students share a dinner with the Quiz Bowl team from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Soil Judging Team
The soil judging program at UGA provides a unique opportunity to train soil science professionals for working in both the private and public sectors. This is an example of experiential learning that allows for NRCS and university involvement and provides an excellent opportunity for networking and future jobs. It is especially geared toward pushing students to excel beyond the normal expectations typical of other courses in the soil science curriculum.
Most recently, our team competed in the 2025 Southeastern regional contest at North Carolina State University where we competed against 11 other teams from the region where they were the 4th place team with two of our students in the top 10 individual contest! A total of 77 students from 12 universities in our region competed in the contest. The 4th place finish qualified the team for the national contest to be held March 22-27, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
UGA Soil Judging Team was the 4th place team at the 2025 Southeastern Regional Collegiate Soil Judging Contest in October 2025.
Additionally, UGA will be the host institution for the 2026 fall collegiate soil judging contest for the Southeastern region. This contest will take place near Athens in October of 2026.
Soil Judging Team: Pictured standing left to right are assistant coach Shea Hoffman (PhD student in Levi lab), Benson Lin, Ashton Vincent, Annanell Thomas-Lichliter, faculty advisor and coach Dr. Matt Levi, Troy Loggins, Lily Chen, Brianne Bracewell, Alejandra Cerron-Palomino. Kneeling left to right are Landon Tate (9th place individual) and Knox Huff (6th place individual).
Turf Team
Each year, students from 4-year colleges and universities from across the country compete in the Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) Student Challenge exam at the national conference. This hands-on exam tests turfgrass students on their knowledge of the sports field industry, with specific questions covering technical skills related to plant identification, pest management, irrigation technology, cultural practices, and writing/communication to name a few. Students also benefit from a complimentary conference registration that allows them to participate in conference educational seminars and walk the trade show floor interacting with future colleagues and employers.
The University of Georgia Student Challenge Team, comprised of Sam Eshman, Tucker Brown, Dylan Nation, and Tristan Lowery, along with Team Advisor, Dr. Gerald Henry, traveled to Fort Worth, TX in January of 2026 for the competition. This year the team placed 5th out of 28 registered teams and has already begun practicing for a run at winning next year’s competition to be held in Tampa, FL in February of 2027. Go DAWGS!!!
The UGA Turfgrass Team (l-r): Sam Eshman, Tucker Brown, Dylan Nation, and Tristan Lowery.