Gilliam Receives Sidney B. Meadows Award

By: Loreal Ing

Charles Gilliam, 26-year professor of horticulture and former chair of the CoAg Department of Horticulture, was recently presented with the honorable Sidney B. Meadows Award of Merit for his exceptional service and dedication to the Southern Region of the North America International Plant Propagators’ Society. He received the award this past October in Gainesville, Fla., at the Southern Region IPPS annual meeting.

IPPS is an organization of horticulturists engaged in propagation and nursery production of plants and/or in related teaching, research or extension activities. The Southern Region of North America IPPS is a group of the most progressive growers in our region. Each year, the organization presents the Sidney B. Meadows award to one member of the organization. It is the highest honor awarded to a member of the Southern Region IPPS.

“The award is given to a member of the Southern Region IPPS who has made an outstanding contribution to the IPPS and to plant propagation, and is dedicated to the ideals of the society to ‘seek and share,’” says Southern Region IPPS secretary-treasurer David Morgan. “Dr. Gilliam was recognized for his long service to the society as the Student Awards chairman, member of the Board and several committees and (past) president. Many of his students have won IPPS awards and scholarships.” Gilliam has been involved with Southern Region IPPS since his career began at Auburn University in 1980. He served as the president of the organization for the1998-1999 term.

Gilliam grew up on a farm in Lexington, Va., and attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, where he received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. As an undergraduate, Gilliam was employed as a work-study student at the university’s greenhouse.

“I always enjoyed working at the greenhouses,” says Gilliam, “I became very fascinated with my work there.” This experience heavily influenced him to go into the field of horticulture for his graduate studies.

Gilliam continued his education at Virginia Tech, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in horticulture. After receiving his Ph.D., he worked at The Ohio State University for three years, then joined the Auburn faculty in 1980, and earned full professorship in 1989.

At the end of 2005, Gilliam finished his fifth and final year serving as department chair for the horticulture department. He feels that the biggest accomplishments during his term were the implementation and completion of several significant projects on campus that improved the facilities used by horticulture students, faculty and staff.

The Paterson Greenhouse Complex received three additional greenhouses, a new building with offices and a new classroom located within the complex. Funchess Hall has also seen some improvements with the creation of the new Student Services Center and several new offices.

Now that Gilliam’s service as department chair is completed, he plans to continue his research program. He will be working very closely with the nursery industry, especially in the areas of weed control and alternative substrates for nursery crops. Gilliam’s primary research interest at Auburn has centered on nursery crops, specifically in weed control. “Because I grew up on a farm, I always had a close relationship with producers,” says Gilliam. “I knew that weed control was a major problem that cut into their profits. I developed an appreciation for weed control as a youngster.”

Throughout Gilliam’s career, he has been closely involved with the Southern Nurserymen’s Association and the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association. He helped develop SNA’s Best Management Practices Manual for Nurseries in 1992.

Gilliam is confident that the future is promising for the field of horticulture, especially with the increasing urbanization of society and the important role that horticulture plays in fulfilling the basic needs of people living in urban settings.

Gilliam lives in the country with his wife and enjoys hunting and fishing. He is the father of two grown children and grandfather of two. His son graduated from Auburn’s horticulture department and is now the branch manager for ValleyCrest in Memphis, and his daughter lives in Baton Rouge.

The Department of Horticulture and the College of Agriculture congratulate Gilliam on this award and his many other accomplishments.

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