Marc van Iersel Leaving a Legacy
The Marc van Iersel Exploratory Travel Award
Marc van Iersel was the Vincent J. Dooley Professor of Horticulture and a beloved faculty member at the University of Georgia for nearly 30 years. He was a brilliant scientist, a dedicated teacher, and a kind and generous colleague and mentor. Marc passed away in April 2023, and his loss was deeply felt by the UGA community, horticulture industry and research community around the world.
Dr. van Iersel worked on applied research in controlled agriculture environments and created and directed the UGA Horticulture Physiology Laboratory which focuses on photosynthesis and light use efficiency research. His most recent research efforts focused on identifying the optimal light intensity and spectrum for the profitable production of crops in greenhouses and plant factories.
He was the co-founder of Candidus, Inc., which facilitates transition of greenhouse lighting technologies to products. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including 2019 UGA Entrepreneur of the Year, Fellow and recently, Outstanding Researcher of the American Society of Horticultural Sciences.
To honor Marc's memory, his family established a fund in his name. The Marc van Iersel Exploratory Travel Award will provide funding to expose graduate students to research programs outside of the University of Georgia through shortterm visits to other universities, government research labs, private companies or similar research facilities or centers of excellence. This may include experiences in research, production agriculture, emerging technologies, exchange of data, management programs, or collaborative linkages with other research groups.
Please consider making a gift to the Marc van Iersel Exploratory Travel Award. Your gift will help to ensure that Marc's legacy of scientific discovery and teaching continues to inspire students for generations to come. Here is contribution information.
Fund Contribution Information
Checks: make payable to University to Georgia Foundation (include “Marc van Iersel Award” in memo). Mail to: UGA CAES, 117 Four Towers Athens, GA 30602
Give Online: https://t.uga.edu/92V
