FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2005
Contact: Joshua Hollis
(662) 329-7119

Greenhouse dedicated to past MUW president
  
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Past MUW president Dr. James Strobel will be on campus Friday as part of the dedication celebration of the Strobel Greenhouse. The dedication will take place at 10:30 a.m.
   
The greenhouse, located on the second floor of Parkinson Hall, was an obvious choice to dedicate to Strobel, said W. Scott Rawles, vice president for institutional advancement and development.
“[Strobel’s] great love is horticulture and plants . . . it was a perfect fit,” adding that there had been a desire to name something after Strobel for some time. “[The greenhouse is] a natural one – it links to his interest area.”
   
Strobel took the role of president in 1977 after the retirement of Dr. Charles P. Hogarth. During his presidency, Strobel introduced a number of positive changes, including the Medal of Excellence, the Faculty Member of the Year Award (recently awarded to Dr. James D. Roth), as well as the just completed Business Week camp and the currently ongoing Mississippi Governor’s School. He stepped down from the presidency in 1988.
   
Installed by Janco Greenhouse Company, the greenhouse allows students to engage in research projects and utilize the concepts learned in class, as well as practically applying those skills.
   
Dr. Dorothy Kerzel, head of the Division of Science and Mathematics, said, “It’s an appropriate honor to name it after Dr. Strobel.”
   
Kerzel said the division was currently working to install a drip irrigation system to automatically water the plants. She said she hopes the new system will increase the faculty/student research studies.

“We’re looking forward to getting it up and running to its full capacity.”
   
MUW President Claudia A. Limbert said, “It has long been a given here at MUW that we needed an appropriate greenhouse that would provide a lab space for student and faculty work. Once that greenhouse was in place, it seemed equally a given that it should be named in honor of Dr. Strobel,” because of his background in horticulture. Limbert said Strobel is still actively performing research on tomatoes.
   
The dedication ceremony is open to the entire campus.