Week Four with Extension by Simala Wright

Mr. Sydney Wallace, manager of the Greenhouse Complex.

This week began with me been discombobulated due to the Juneteenth Holiday on

Monday. Tuesday began the first working day and thought we were having our weekly

professional development. While getting ready for the zoom, I realized that this week there will

be no zoom because of the campus tour. Eventually, I arrived at work and was dispatched to

Poplar Hill. Corns were planted in four batches with twelve rows in each batch. At first glance, it

appeared that the cover crop was interfering with the sunlight reaching the corn. To improve the

photo period, the cover crops were mowed completely about two weeks earlier. I took pictures of

each batch from front to back to capture the growth. After taking the pictures, I proceeded to the

watermelons planted on Wright’s farm to put down flags separating the samples by distances of

3ft, 5ft, and 7ft.

Dr. Silas discussing the different styles of leadership.

Instead of the usual professional development via zoom, we did an on campus tour of the

University of Maryland, College Park. The first guest lecturer was Dr. Antonio Silas, Baltimore

City Extension Director. Dr. Silas lead a discussion on the different types of leadership, which

were identified as: transactional, transformational, servant, democratic, charismatic, and

autocratic. As a leader, one’s approach to leadership has to be identified and honed because there

is no singular approach. After Dr. Silas’s lecture, we engaged in several team building exercises

led by Mr. Miles Alexander from Maryland Lead. Mr. Alexander, as part of the team building

and leadership decision making, orchestrated an exercise with each of us playing different roles.

We were giving a Scientist, Chief Minister of Russia, Miss Universe 2017, Mother of 6, Female

Lawyer, Current Pope, Goggle CEO, UMD Student, Unemployed Engineer, 28 year-old teacher,

Escape convict, and Retired Army Colonel. The goal was to save six people out of twelve. With

that in mind, Byron who was designated as the leader and his decision was final could not get a

word in during the deliberations. The list complied was the scientist, mother of 6, female lawyer,

teacher, engineer, and convict. However, Byron decided we will save the scientist, minister,

engineer, teacher, convict, and the colonel. The ladies in the group was shocked at the decision.

Dr. Izursa discussing aquaponics.

On day two of our professional development at College Park began we began at the

aquaponics’ lab with Dr. Jose-Luis Izursa. This promising agriculture research relies on three

major components: fish, preferably goldfish, plants, and bacteria. As population increases and

farm land is lost to industrialization and housing, the stress of maintaining the food supply is

very important. However, sustainability is a major concern. 

Mr. Michael Carmichael showing the new design to deal with stormwater.

Mr. Michael from facility management, took us around the engineering building and showed us the 

new construction designs to deal with stormwater in and around campus. The building was completed 

in 2017, six years later, and the landscape design is showing promising results in a microwave society.

After learning about the redesign of the landscape, we proceeded to the greenhouse

complex and were met by Mr. Sydney Wallace, the greenhouse manager. The complex

composed of 33 rooms or independent labs designed to alter the environment to produce crops.

Also, a newly built aquaponics house has been added to the complex. The complex is capable for

researchers to produce winter crops in the summer and summer crops in the winter. There is a

nominal fee of $200.00 per month to help with the maintenance and upkeep of the facility.

Dr. Karen Rane, the plant pathologist, introduced us to the world of plant diseases. She

receives between 500 and 800 samples annually. Some of which after 30 plus years is able to

diagnosis and recommend proper treatment. Others that are more complicated undergo a more

rigorous test or are shipped. The users currently do not pay for diagnosis because of grant

support, but will not be surprise a nominal fee at some point in the future.

Lunch at STAMP

Group Dinner