- Degree: Master of Horticultural Science (Spring 2022)
- Advisor: Dr. Julieta Sherk
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-hausle-805237127/
What was your degree(s) or focus?
My degree is Master of Horticultural Science, and I also earned a certificate in Agricultural Education. I was able to take or TA for many landscape design courses in the horticulture department, which helped inform my research on middle school outdoor learning environment design.
How are you planning to use your degree?
I plan to pursue a career in education. For now, I will be teaching high school horticulture. In the future, I could see myself working in an education department of a public garden, or becoming a professor.
Whom do you want to thank?
My amazing advisor, Julieta Sherk; My research advisory committee, Dr. Wendy Warner, Kofi Boone, Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Liz Driscoll and Remi Ham; Anne Spafford, who has given me the opportunity to teach a summer course; And of course, my family, friends and boyfriend.
What is the best thing about studying horticulture at NC State?
For me, the most challenging and rewarding part was the research project.
Clubs and Activities
Pi Alpha Xi!
Do you have plans for after graduation? Are you currently working?
I will be teaching Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture at a high school in Durham!
Advisor Comments (Dr. Julieta Sherk)
It is my great pleasure to celebrate Ms. April Hausle’s Graduation. I have known her as my graduate student since fall 2020. It has been a pleasure to get to work with April on her Master of Horticultural Science project:
Designing Outdoor Learning Environments to Support Middle School Science Curriculum Designing Outdoor Learning Environments to Support Middle School Science Curriculum.
April came to us from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelor of Art in Interdisciplinary Studies. We started her program during the beginning of COVID and were able to navigate all the challenges that were presented by being both face to face and online for all our meetings.
During her time with us, she also completed two extension projects. For one of her extension projects April created a presentation about citizen science including: “Citizen Science Soil Collection.” I also discussed E-Bird and INaturalist, as well as the online citizen science database, SciStarter. She underscored the importance of getting involved in citizen science. For the other, she worked with Quina Weber-Shirk, Guilford County extension agent; and Liz Driscoll, 4-H Specialist to prepare and deliver a workshop where she led a talk focused on citizen science for elementary school- age students.
April is passionate about teaching young people. Within with her MHS program, she also completed an Agriculture and Extension Education Graduate Certificate to support her future professional goals, which are to teach in agricultural education for middle school to high school children. I am happy to report that she has already gotten a job doing just that; teaching Horticulture at Northern High School in Durham!
During the past 2 years, April has worked as a Teaching Assistant in various classes, where she has honed her teaching skills. The students absolutely love her!
It has been a pleasure to work with April. She is tenacious, dedicated, curious and determined. Most of all ,she is passionate about her study in which she reveals design strategies that promote Outdoor Learning Environments that support teaching and learning for middle school children and address the critical role middle schoolers play in all our futures.
She presented her work at the VIII International Conference on Landscape and Urban Horticulture in Catania Italy, and she was selected to present at the NCSU 2022 Graduate Student Research Symposium.
Teachers are my heroes and I am proud and thankful to April for a great 2 years working together to prepare her for the noblest of professions.