M.S. - Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design, 1998 Area of emphasis: Urban Horticulture

Keebler brings work experience to the classroom after serving as an urban forester with the City of Chattanooga. As Chair of Virginia Highland's new horticulture program, he is working to ensure that students get the opportunity to have hands-on experience to apply knowledge gained in the classroom.

According to Keebler, "Establishing a new program has been a challenge; I'm called upon to make decisions about curriculum issues, grounds maintenance, greenhouse construction, lab equipment, you name it. I'm fortunate to have attended UT where I was exposed to and received training in a broad range of horticultural topics."

To support the horticulture program, construction has been completed on a 3,000 square foot greenhouse and conservatory. The hilltop campus of 100 acres has been designated as a laboratory for the program and long-term plans call for the campus to become a significant public garden that will include a fitness and birding trail. Students in the program have established an Ornamental Grass Garden and a Heritage Apple Orchard. Students have also improved the ecological services of the campus by constructing housing for numerous bird species and work is underway to convert much of the campus to native plant communities. A planned brick-on-sand labyrinth will serve as a focal point for a new formal garden.