Kim Evenson, Interim Land Steward
Winona State University announces Kimberly Evenson, Professor of Biology, has been appointed to the position of Interim Land Steward. Evenson will serve as Interim Land Steward for academic year 2014-15 while current Land Steward Bruno Borsari, Associate Professor of Biology, teaches and conducts research as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award in Panama.
Evenson has served at WSU since 1995 as a plant biologist. Prior to coming to WSU, she served as a lab technician in the Departments of Entomology and Crop and Weed Science at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and as a Post Doctoral Associate in the Plant Biology Division of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla. Dr. Evenson received her B.S. in Microbiology and M.S. in Botany from NDSU, and her Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.
Evenson presently serves on WSU’s Arboretum Committee and Land Stewardship Committee. WSU’s newly dedicated Arboretum encompasses more than 70 acres on the main, west and East Lake campuses and 225 acres at the Garvin Heights property, including Krueger Woods, and serves as a showcase for the region’s native plants and a public classroom for everyone from visiting K-12 school groups to senior citizens.
The role of the Land Steward is to enhance the university’s natural resources and assist in long-term planning, management, and upkeep needs and strategies for managing campus grounds in an ecologically and sustainable manner. In her role as Land Steward, Evenson will help employees, students and the community engage in meaningful educational activities outside the classroom and support an environment that fosters public enjoyment, education, recreation and research.
“Dr. Evenson is a biologist with outstanding scholarship in her specialty of plant genetics and plant biology, and she has been deeply involved with the development of the vision for the campus Arboretum,” said Patricia L. Rogers, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs. “With Dr. Borsari’s upcoming opportunity to serve as a Fulbright Scholar, WSU needed a person who could quickly step into the leadership role and continue the work of transforming the arboretum into a unique ‘living classroom.’ Dr. Evenson understands the importance and scope of the Land Steward role and will work with our community to keep WSU beautiful, sustainable and a source of pride for the region.”
For more information, call the WSU Communications Office at 507-457-5024.
