Meet the Team
About Charlie Hall, Ph.D.
Charlie Hall, Ph.D., grew up in the industry on a nursery in western North Carolina. Hall’s expertise is in the production and marketing of green industry crops. He is nationally recognized in academia and among the horticultural clientele he serves. Although an economist by training, he is currently a professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University and also holder of the Ellison Chair in International Floriculture. His major areas of specialization include innovative management and marketing strategies, financial analysis and benchmarking and the situation/outlook for nursery and greenhouse crops. He is an invited speaker at numerous regional, national and international meetings of various industry-related associations and organizations. Hall is an honorary lifetime member of the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association and has received TNLA’s award for outstanding service to the nursery industry. He is also a member of the Hall of Fame and an honorary lifetime member of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association.
About Jay Maddock, Ph.D., FAAHB
Jay Maddock, Ph.D., is a Regents Professor at Texas A&M University, Director of the Center for Health & Nature and Chair of the Nature and Health Alliance. Previously he served as Dean of the School of Public Health and Chief Wellness Officer at TAMU and as Director and Chair of the University of Hawaii Public Health Program. He has received numerous awards throughout his career from the American Public Health Association, the Surgeon General, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and many others. He has authored over 170 scientific articles and served as principal investigator on over $20 million in extramural funding. He is internationally recognized for his research in health behavior and social-ecological approaches to increasing physical activity and increasing time spent in nature.
Steering Committee
A steering committee was formed to direct the efforts of the Plants, Nature, and Health Initiative. The initial steering committee members include:
Jay Maddock, Environmental and Occupational Health
Charlie Hall, Horticultural Sciences
Amit Dhingra, Horticultural Sciences
Marco Palma, Agricultural Economics
Mike Arnold, Director, TAMU Gardens, Professor, Dept of Horticultural Sciences
Scott Shafer, Campus and Community the Office of the President
Debra Kellstedt, AgriLife Extension
Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Institute for Advancing Health through Agriculture/Nutrition
PJ Ellison, External Advisor
John Dole, NC State University
Ryan Heare, Office of Lois Kolkhorst, State Senator, Mental Health Policy for the Health and Human Services Committee
Internal Agency Partners
Center for Health and Nature
Ellison Chair in International Floriculture
Benz School of Floral Design
Texas A&M University Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism
Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning
Center for Health Systems and Design
Texas A&M University Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University The Gardens
Aggie Park
Texas A&M University Human Behavior Laboratory
Psychological & Brain Sciences
Texas A&M University School of Education and Human Development
Texas A&M University Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University Aplin Center
Texas A&M University Health
Texas A&M University Health Services
Texas A&M University Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Texas A&M AgriLife
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family and Community Health
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Better Living for Texans
Texas A&M University Healthy Texans
Texas A&M Forest Service
Texas Master Gardener
Junior Master Gardener
External Agency Partners
Community Resources at LCRA
Texas Department of Agriculture
Health and Human Services
Houston Zoo
Houston Methodist
North Carolina State University
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