Bob Portmess, MPS ’08, was a mechanical engineer and telecommunications executive who just happened to be an avid golfer. In 2006, Portmess walked into the office of turf grass expert Frank Rossi, associate professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, and said he wanted to switch careers. His goal: to work with people who produce the best golf playing surfaces in the world.

Two years later, Portmess received his Master of Professional Studies in agriculture and life sciences specializing in turfgrass management, synthesizing the practical knowledge that Rossi and colleague Jennifer Grant, now director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management (NYSIPM) Program, had amassed over seven years of experimental work to reduce the use of chemicals at Bethpage Golf Courses, a New York State Park.