Class Notes

Derrick was recently promoted to the Education and Horticultural Therapy Program Administrator at the University of Tennessee Gardens. He was awarded the Rhea McCandliss Professional Service Award from the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) in 2016 and served on the Board of Directors for AHTA from 2016-2018. He has developed horticultural therapy programs programs for a wide variety of audiences in the Knoxville, TN area.

Derrick received his Ph.D. in Plant Soil and Environmental Science from the University of Tennessee in 2020. He created an launched the first undergraduate certificate program at the University of Tennessee in 2022. The program is the The University of Tennessee Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program. It is an online certificate program and is accredited by the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Derrick received adjunct assistant professor status at the University of Tennessee in 2021. He received the 2022 Horticultural Therapy Award from the American Horticultural Society. He is the 2022 president of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. He has published multiple articles on the use of horticulture as therapy and was able to assist the Caribbean Community-Based Rehabilitation Network in developing horticultural therapy programs through a collaboration with the United States Agency on International Development & Partners of the Americans Farmer to Farmer Program.

I began a new position as the Director of the Residential Student Experience at Florida State University on April 3rd. In this role I have oversight over the campus residential population of more than 6,700 residents on the main campus at FSU in Tallahassee. My position oversees the University Housing staff responsible for assignments and occupancy, residence hall staffing and administration, and all academic and programmatic initiatives that take place within the residence halls. The search that brought me to Florida State was a national search conducted by the Spelman and Johnson Group.

Ben recently began his term as President of the Southeast Association of Housing Officers (SEAHO). He will serve as President of the 10-state region of College and University Housing and Residence Life professionals from March 2024 until March 2025. Ben began his Presidency at the end of the 2024 SEAHO annual conference in Charleston where he was able to connect with form Assistant Dean of Campus Life, Michelle Safewright and current Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Aja Rodriguez.