Stephen F. Austin State University to Host Lecture on Challenging Plant Growth.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the next installment of the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. on September 12 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.
Dr. Whitney Griffin, a landscape software product manager, will be the featured speaker, presenting on “The Art of Growing Plants Where Plants Don’t Want to Grow.”
Dr. Griffin is well-regarded in the green industry, with extensive experience in various roles. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticultural sciences from Auburn University in 2008 and 2010, respectively. After completing her doctoral studies at The University of Maryland in 2014, Griffin took on the role of director of maintenance at a boutique contractor specializing in green roofs and living walls. She managed over 2 million square feet of these projects across cities from New York to Raleigh and as far west as Chicago. Her doctoral research focused on optimizing green roof substrates for stormwater management.
From 2015 to 2019, Dr. Griffin served as a faculty member in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University. During her tenure, she taught courses in landscape design, computer-aided design, landscape business management, and landscape construction. In 2019, she transitioned to a firm in Austin as the lead landscape designer and project manager for custom residential landscape projects.
Since 2021, Griffin has been part of the product management team at Aspire, a landscape software company. She collaborates with industry professionals to develop software tailored to the needs of high-growth companies. Dr. Griffin resides in Austin with her partner Kenneth, their border collie Pixel, and often a foster dog from Border Collie Save and Rescue.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held on the second Thursday of each month and features a rare plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, with donations to the lecture series fund appreciated.
Parking for the event is available at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center or at Raguet Elementary School.