Chase Straw, Ph.D., earned his B.S. in Turfgrass Science from the University of Kentucky, where he gained valuable hands-on experience working with professional sports organizations, including Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox and the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals.
He went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Georgia.
After serving as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, he joined Texas A&M University in 2020 as an Assistant Professor, leading a nationally and internationally recognised research program in precision turfgrass management and sports field safety.
In January 2025, Chase joined the Penn State Turfgrass Program as an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Soils and Director of the Center for Sports Surface Research, where he holds a 40% research, 40% teaching, and 20% extension role.
Chase’s research focuses on integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance resource efficiency, field safety, and sustainability in turfgrass systems, benefiting golf courses and sports fields at all levels. His extensive body of work is published in high-impact journals such as Precision Agriculture, Science of the Total Environment, the European Journal of Sport Science, and Sports Engineering, highlighting his multidisciplinary approach and significant contributions to turfgrass science.
Chase also serves as the Academic Director on the Sports Field Management Association's Board of Directors and as an Associate Editor for Crop Science, Crop, Forage, and Turfgrass Management, and the International Turfgrass Research Journal, further advancing research and knowledge dissemination in the turfgrass industry.
Straw joins leading Agronomist, James (Jim) Kerns PhD, Professor and Extension Specialist in Plant Pathology at NC State University announced last week at the Sydney Conference, with further speaker and program announcements coming over the next few weeks.