Sonja M. Skelly

Director of Education, Cornell Plantations

Lewis Education Center
607-255-2406
Fax: 607-255-0187
sms92@cornell.edu

Professional CV

Concentration

Public Garden Leadership

Plants and Human Well-Being

Graduate Fields

Horticulture

Departments

Cornell Plantations

Horticulture

Education

Ph.D. University of Florida, 2000
M.S. Texas A&M University, 1997
B.A. Texas A&M University, 1994

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Overview

I am the Director of Education for Cornell Plantations as well as a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Horticulture. I joined Cornell Plantations in May 2002 and the Department in December 2003. In concert with Don Rakow, I coordinate the Cornell Plantations' Masters of Professional Studies program in Public Garden Leadership.

Research Focus

I work with faculty and students on research projects related to public garden management and plants and human well-being.

Instruction Focus

I teach HORT 235, Plants and Human Well-Being, a class that exposes students to the multiple ways that we interact with plants and plant products in order to increase their awareness of the many non-traditional career and avocational opportunities within the field of Horticulture. Additionally, I work with Don Rakow on HORT 485 - Public Garden Management, and the Cornell Plantations Fall Lecture Series which is both a public program and available for Cornell credit (Hort 480). Upon request, I offer Independent Study credit to students interested in aspects of plants and human well-being and public garden management, specifically public garden education programming.

Additional Links

• Cornell Plantations
• HORT 235 - Plants and Human Well-Being
• HORT 485 - Public Garden Management
• American Public Gardens Association

Selected Publications

Skelly, S. M. and J. C. Bradley. 2007. The growing phenomenon of school gardens: Measuring their variation and affect on students’ sense of responsibility and attitudes toward science and the environment. Applied Environmental Education and Communication, 6(1):97-104.

Klemmer, C. and S. M. Skelly. 2006. The changing face of education. The Public Garden, 21(2): 8-12.

Skelly, S. M. and C. Hetzel. 2005. The role of academic institutions in developing future leaders. The Public Garden, 20(3): 14-17, 42.

Goodwin, D., D. Rakow, and S. M. Skelly. 2005. Paths to the community: How public gardens link to their neighborhoods. The Public Garden, 20(2): 35-37.

Skelly, S.M., T.C. Kohlleppel, J.C. Bradley, and M.E. Kane. 2002. Professional Development for Graduate Students. NACTA Journal, 46(4):16-18.

Skelly, S. M. and J. C. Bradley. 2000. School Gardens: Their importance as perceived by Florida elementary school teachers. HortTechnology, 10(1):229-231.

Skelly, S.M. and J.M. Zajicek. 1998. The Effect of an interdisciplinary garden program on the environmental attitudes of elementary school students. HortTechnology 8(4):579-583.

Bradley, J. C. and S. M. Skelly. 1998. Children’s gardens – Implications for the future. In, Proc. Florida State Horticultural Society Research Conference. 110:405-407.

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