Dr. Rhodes received his Ph.D in Weed Science from North Carolina State University. Dr. Rhodes was a member of the faculty of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in the 1980's and 1990's, and has worked in each aspect of the landgrant mission, extension, research and teaching. Dr. Rhodes served as department head of the Department of Plant Sciences from 2002-2008. He first served as interim head of the Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Systems, formed in 2001 with the merger of Ornamental Horticulture & Landscape Design and the plant scientists of Plant & Soil Sciences After a very successful period as interim head, Neil was appointed permanent head later in 2002. These six years were a time of growth and outstanding productivity for the department, and we owe Neil a great deal for his vision and leadership. On April 1, 2008, Neil returned to his job as Extentionist Specialist, where he excelled for many years before becoming department head. We thank him heartily for his strong leadership as departmetn head, and we welcome him back to the faculty as weed scientist extraordinaire....