Bodie Pennisi , PhD

Bodie Pennisi, received her Master of Science in 1996 and Doctoral degrees in 1999 from Environmental Horticulture Dept. of University of Florida in Gainesville. She joined the Horticulture Department at UGA in 2000. Dr. Pennisi is responsible for planning and coordinating a statewide Extension program to support the professional landscape industry and conducting applied research with emphasis on sustainable landscape practices such as biodegradable containers and microbial inoculants. Dr. Pennisi also conducts research on quantifying and qualifying floral provisioning resources for pollinators, biological enemies, and ecosystem services in urban and agricultural landscape contexts.

Dr. Pennisi’s publication record includes 25 journal articles, 58 published abstracts, 75 extension publications (manuals, bulletins, circulars), and 10 book chapters. She has 67 presentations at professional conferences as author or co-author, and over 500 presentations for stakeholder audiences (industry, civic groups, master gardeners, garden clubs, etc.). Dr. Pennisi assists county Extension agents with landscape troubleshooting, landscape planning, and local programming. She teaches Master Gardener training classes on landscape installation and maintenance, WaterSmart landscapes, interiorscapes, herbaceous and woody ornamental plant selection, plant propagation and plant physiology.

Dr. Pennisi serves on the boards of the statewide industry groups, Georgia Green Industry Association and the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council. She also serves as a scientific advisor to the board of the national non-profit organization Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB). Since 2014, she’s been serving as Co-Editor-in- Chief of Scientia Horticulturae (Elsevier Publ.) Dr. Pennisi has received numerous publication awards from the American Society for Horticultural Sciences (ASHS), Southern Region ASHS, National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NAACA), and Southern Regional Extension Forester. Her past awards include Senior Extension Specialist (Georgia Association of County Agriculture Agents), Henry Covington Extension Award, NACTA Award of Merit, John Hutchison Young Extension Educator, Georgia Green Industry Educator of the Year, Georgia Society of Association of Executives, and Georgia Flower Grower Association Outstanding Educator.