As Director of Graduate Studies, Mary supervises and coordinates the Horticulture program, guides and improves the educational experience, and serves as a liaison among students, faculty, staff, and administration. She is professor and extension horticulturist at the U of M Landscape Arboretum and chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Horticultural Science, 2014−15. She holds a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics form the University of Minnesota; an MS in Ornamental Grass Taxonomy from Cornell University; and a BS in Ornamental Horticulture from Clemson University.