Mike Arnold
Director
979.845.1499 | [email protected]
Mike has been with the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences as a professor of landscape horticulture and in other capacities since 2012 and 1993, respectively. Mike earned a B.S. in business administration, a B.S. in agriculture (horticulture major) and an M.S. in Landscape Horticulture at The Ohio State University. Then, he received a Ph.D. in horticultural sciences from North Carolina State University. He has an unwavering passion for teaching and an inherent curiosity for the natural world. Mike’s favorite plant is a bald cypress (taxodium distichum). Come check out Mike’s favorite tree and the rest of The Gardens, happy planting!
Joseph Johnson
Gardens Manager
979.862.1697 | [email protected]
Joseph joined Texas A&M in July 2016 to oversee the garden’s construction, maintenance and management; and future phases that will inclusively restore, preserve, and develop nearly 27 acres into a variety of themed spaces for teaching, research, extension/outreach, and community involvement and enjoyment. He was the director of horticulture with the 252-acre Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, TX since 2010. Previously, Joseph managed more than 50 acres of landscape gardens and 300 acres of campus as well as interior public spaces and satellite properties for the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Joseph graduated from Texas A&M in 1988 with B.S. in Horticulture. He has a long affiliation with Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, is a Texas Master Certified Nurserymen and holds a Texas Irrigator License and Texas Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License.
Kat Grier
Education and Outreach Coordinator
979.314.2357 | [email protected]
Kat works with Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife faculty and staff on educational programming for Texas A&M students, K-12 school field trips, youth programs and community groups in addition to managing the volunteer program. Kat earned a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Sam Houston State University and a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and conservation science from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She previously worked as a training coordinator for the San Antonio Zoo, within student leadership and community engagement at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and in an outdoor recreation at Sam Houston State University. Her favorite plant is the pecan tree because of her fond memories as a child of the pecan trees at her grandmother’s home.
Abbey Whipple
Events Administrator
979.314.8019 | [email protected]
Abbey joined the Texas A&M AgriLife Events team in February 2019. She oversees all special events within The Gardens, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as well as the Vice Chancellor’s Office. Abbey graduated from Texas A&M University in 2018 with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics and completed her M.S. in Agricultural Education from Texas Tech University in 2020. Sunflowers are her favorite flowers, as they remind her of west Texas and home.
Ashley Fuqua
Events Coordinator
979.314.8031 | [email protected]
Ashley graduated from Texas A&M University with her B.S. in Animal Science. She assists with scheduling and coordination of events in The Gardens and Shirley and Joe Swinbank ‘74 AgriLife Center Before joining the AgriLife Events Team she worked with Event Management at the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex. Ashley’s favorite flowers are roses.
Jeremy Stavinoha
SSC- Grounds Team Leader
Jeremy graduated from Texas A&M in 2008 with a B.S. in Horticulture. As a proud Aggie, he is honored to give back to the University using his gifts and education to spread knowledge of the outdoor world with others. In his spare time, Jeremy can be found researching statistics and data of pretty much anything, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters. Jeremy’s favorite plant is a plumeria.
