Is Kent Kobayashi a perpetual motion machine? The long-tenured professor in the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences was recently named Interim Department Chair for TPSS. He will be teaching a newly developed course in the upcoming semester, "Controlled Environment Agriculture,” and is planning another new course, "Artificial Intelligence in Horticulture," scheduled for Fall 2025.
Not to mention, Kent is co-coordinating the colloquium, “AI Innovation for Horticulture,” for the American Society for Horticultural Science’s upcoming 2024 Annual Conference to be held September 23-27 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, and will serve as an event speaker.
Kent will also co-present four papers: “Red and Blue LED Lighting Effects on Hydroponically Grown 'Koba' Green Onion” (with Brylin Nelson), “Evolution of an Undergraduate Tropical Crop Production Systems Course,” “Mentor-Mentee Perspectives and Experiences In a Graduate Scientific Communications Course" (with Guadalupe Rodriguez), "Promoting Controlled Environment Agriculture Activities at Campus-Wide Events" (with Jonathan Kobayashi and Brylin Nelson), and “A Mentor-Mentee Undergraduate Scientific Communications Course” (with Danielle Jaden Yamagata-Santos [presenter] and Koa Grabar).
Not to mention, Kent was recently named secretary of the American Society for Horticultural Science’s Tropical Horticultural Crops Professional Interest Group. TROP is concerned with the culture, postharvest physiology, and processing of tropical fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, condiments, pharmaceuticals, flavors, fragrances, latex, nuts, oils, beverages, and underutilized horticultural plants.
Last but not least, Kent recently accepted an offer to serve on the Outstanding Undergraduate Educator Award Committee of the American Society for Horticultural Science. And if you missed it, he was interviewed for the ASHS' HortLegends videos in Orlando. Way to go, Kent!