September 2-8, 2012

Hi, my name is Blaire Colvin. I am a senior majoring in Plant Science with a specialization in agronomy. The fall semester has started back in full swing. We have had some crazy rainy weather in the first week or so making it a little difficult to get around campus. Despite the weather, I did manage to make it to all of my classes. They seem like they are going to be pretty good. I think I’m really going to enjoy Applied Field Crop Production, which is a new course offered by my department that focuses on the applied aspects of growing food. It has a lot of hands on opportunities and cool labs planned. I enjoy classes that get you out of a classroom and outside.

In addition to classes starting back, all of the clubs and organizations are getting started. My schedule is packed with different meetings and ambassador events. Sigma Alpha, the professional agricultural sorority, which I am a part of, has rush starting next week. I am looking forward to meeting all of the new girls. I am also in Alpha Zeta, the honors agricultural fraternity, and it is starting back up with its first meeting this coming Tuesday. I will also be at the first meeting for the Agronomy-Soils Club.

I am still working in the crop physiology lab in the agronomy department. We are very busy with several projects coming to a close and my honors research project data collection is ongoing. I am working on a new method to evaluate peanut maturity. It involves putting hundreds of samples on a computer scanner and predicting maturity from the image. It’s safe to say I am very busy! I enjoy all of this though, especially since peanuts are a large part of my life. My dad grows peanuts and I have grown up around the farm, so it makes the research more meaningful to me.

Speaking of that, I just spent my entire weekend on a tractor digging peanuts. I had to settle on listening to the first Gator game on the radio to help with the start of this year’s peanut harvest. I really enjoy being on the farm, but I do love my Gators as well. I am happy we kicked off this season with a win against Bowling Green!

It’s a great time to be a CALS student. Go Gators!

Blaire Colvin

Class: Senior

Hometown: Gainesville, Florida

Major: Plant Science

Specialization: Agronomy

Involvement: Research assistant in the UF Agronomy Department (crop physiology), Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority member, Alpha Zeta Honors Fraternity member, Agronomy-Soils Club President

Hobbies: Reading, running, working on the family farm, going to the beach and fishing After College: Plans to attend graduate school studying agronomy