Todd Einhorn
Todd Einhorn

Todd Einhorn has been named the Michigan State University Department of Horticulture’s Martin and Judith Bukovac Professor in Tree Fruit Physiology, according to an MSU news release.

Funded by a $1 million endowment from horticulture professor emeritus Martin “John” Bukovac and his late wife, Judith, the new position aims to support research and outreach efforts that benefit Michigan’s tree fruit industry. The three-year appointment will offer Einhorn the flexibility to continue his research on cold hardiness, which he’s been conducting for four years with MSU as an associate professor.

The new position also increases Einhorn’s potential to collaborate with other entities and institutions, thanks to the financial flexibility it offers, according to the news release. 

Einhorn has established research partnerships with U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists at universities throughout the country and internationally at two research centers in Spain: the Center for Agrifood and Research Technology in Zaragoza, and the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology in Lleida.

“This endowment provides funding to strengthen these partnerships and ultimately bring valuable research expertise to MSU and, by extension, our stakeholders,” Einhorn said in the news release. “I expect the endowment to serve as seed funding, allowing us to explore the mechanisms of cold hardiness that will in turn lead to additional funding opportunities.”

—by Matt Milkovich