Dr. Roberto Lopez has joined the faculty in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, Mich. as an Assistant Professor and Controlled Environment/Floriculture Extension Specialist. He will have a 45-percent research, 30-percent teaching, and 25-percent extension appointment. He joins MSU from an associate professor position at Purdue University.
Dr. Lopez will add to MSU’s lighting expertise with his research background in traditional and LED supplemental and sole-source lighting and become part of the Floriculture Research Alliance. Lopez says he will continue investigating how light (quantity, quality, and duration), carbon dioxide, air and substrate temperature during the young and finished plant stages influence timing, rooting, quality, and subsequent performance of specialty crops. His new area of research at MSU will include hydroponic greenhouse and indoor production of leafy greens and vegetables.