''There were places where you couldn't put in raised beds behind the school,''
Nelkin said. “So I came to take the course. And I saw these incredible greenhouses
with these tomatoes. From the hotel that night, I called my mom and said, 'I'm going to graduate school here.' ''
Nelkin enrolled a few weeks later and began coursework under Giacomelli,
Chieri Kubota, and Ursula Schuch in The School of Plant Sciences. For her graduate
project, Nelkins chose to grow basil in a retractable roof greenhouse, testing control strategies and checking for yields and quality under various conditions.
Involved with others
The actual data from growing basil was of less importance to Nelkin than the
overall experience, she said.
“For me the great thing about CEAC was just the opportunity to get involved
with other things,'' she said.
“There were so many graduate students when I was there. You could just help
someone. I'm going to help you with your tomato project. And I'm going to help you
build this census project this afternoon. And you could pick up a lot of really tangible skills.”
Nelkin took a semester to work in hydroponics a Cuisinart Resort & Spa in
Anguilla with Howard Resh. Anguilla is a small island with little room for agricul-
ture. Resh's project grows fresh vegetables for the resort.
After earning her masters, Nelkin went to Antarctica to work on the South
Pole Food Growth Chamber.
Life on the river
Merle Jensen, a professor emeritus at CEAC affectionately known in the community as
“Dr. J,” called her and told her she should head back to New York City and build the
Science Barge on the Hudson River
“It was an environmental education center,'' Nelkin said. “We had some greenhouses on a barge. It was powered from solar, wind and bio fuel. The water came from rainwater collection and reverse osmosis out of the river. We did school groups every day. It toured around to piers in Manhattan, It was a really fun project.”
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Hey, how many parents of doctors can go into a local grocer and see posters of their daughter plastered all over the store?
The actual data from growing basil was of less importance to Nelkin than the overall experience, she said.