Dr. Brian E. Whipker earned the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Horticulture and Agricultural Education, Agricultural Economics, and Horticulture, respectively. All four degrees were from Purdue University. Brian was a Regional Extension Specialist with Commercial Greenhouse and Vegetable crops in Northern Indiana from 1988 to 1991. He also was an Assistant Professor with responsibilities in floriculture at Iowa State University from 1995 to 1997.In 1997, he became an Assistant Professor of Horticulture at North Carolina State University. His responsibilities are in Floriculture with an 80% Extension and 20% Research split. In 2002, he was promoted to Associate Professor and in 2007 to Full Professor. Research interests include the areas of plant nutrition, plant growth regulators, and economics (cost of production). Extension interests include the development of problem solving guides for growers. Emphasis has been in the development of photographic guides and cultural manuals for problem solving.