Jim Baird has been the Turfgrass Specialist at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) since 2008. His primary responsibilities include conducting research and providing outreach for the California turfgrass industry.
Jim was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. He received a B.S. in Landscape Horticulture in 1985 from Colorado State University, an M.S. in Agronomy and Soils in 1989, and a Ph.D. in Botany in 1993, both from Auburn University.
Prior to joining UCR, Jim served as an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Research and Teaching at Oklahoma State University and Michigan State University, and as an agronomist in the Northeast Region for the United States Golf Association Green Section.