2026 Musser Masters Scholarship Recipient
The Musser International Turfgrass Research Foundation is pleased to announce that Elisabeth Kitchin has been chosen as the inaugural recipient of the H. Burton Musser Masters Scholarship.
“We established this new $5,000 scholarship to identify up-and-coming turf graduate students who have the potential to become tomorrow’s scientists and educators,” said Musser President Frank Dobie. “Kitchin is exactly the kind of excellent student and individual we had in mind.”
Kitchin received her B.S. in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems from North Carolina State University, where she was introduced to the turfgrass industry while working under Dr. Jim Kerns. She received her M.S. in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science from Virginia Tech under the Dr. David McCall and Dr. Shawn Askew. Her research focused on precision turfgrass management, including machine learning for pest detection, targeted pesticide applications, and the use of soil moisture sensors and modeling to improve irrigation decision-making. Kitchin is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science at Virginia Tech under Dr. McCall.
“I am unbelievably honored to receive the Musser Masters Scholarship,” said Kitchin. “I could not have achieved this without the incredible support of my parents, Kyle and Helena, my sisters, Emma and Eden, and my incredible friends and colleagues. The most gratifying part of the turfgrass industry is the incredible company I keep, and I am so grateful to each of my mentors, colleagues, and friends for supporting me along the way.”
The criteria for selecting award recipients include a minimum 3.4 GPA in their final two years of undergraduate study, current enrollment in an M.S. program or completion in the current year, and research objectives relevant to turf science and management.
