Two-Time Horticulture Grad Sarah Paschal Joins Department Faculty

Sarah Paschal, a two-time graduate who has been involved with the program in various roles since 2018, has joined U of A's Department of Horticulture as an instructor.

The Department of Horticulture is part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, where Paschal earned bachelor's (2022) and master's (2025) degrees.

Paschal has more than four years of hands-on research experience in turfgrass science, specializing in native grasses and forbs for low-maintenance and roadside vegetation systems; is proficient in implementing and managing field trials, including performance data collection and treatment applications; has collaborated with faculty, state agencies and industry partners to translate research findings into outreach and extension materials; has presented research at regional and national conferences and field days; has supervised and trained undergraduate research assistants and interns; and been recognized for academic and research excellence with multiple awards and honors.

Paschal is currently teaching the Principles of Horticulture, and the Plants, People and You classes. She is also advising the Horticulture Club and serving as chair of the department's Scholarship Committee.

"Working with students is the most rewarding part of my job," she says. "I believe in creating an inclusive, supportive space where students can explore plants, landscapes and the natural world in ways that spark curiosity and build long-term skills. My motivation for teaching comes from seeing students gain confidence through hands-on learning. Horticulture is such a tangible and empowering field, and I love watching students connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world environments."

Paschal leads classroom and laboratory instruction, manages the U of A's Teaching Gardens and supervises and mentors student interns working in those areas, advises undergraduates and leads and assists in departmental outreach, recruiting events and educational programming to support horticulture in attracting prospective students.

Paschal worked in a departmental administrative support position from 2021-22, was an agricultural research support staff member over two stints in 2021-22 and 2025 (assisted with research and maintenance of turfgrass plots supporting field trails and demonstration projects) and was a graduate research assistant from 2022-24 (conducted research on the establishment and performance of native grasses and forbs for roadside and low maintenance turfgrass systems).

She earned the department's Outstanding Senior Award in 2021 and the Outstanding Graduate Student Award in 2024, and won an Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the American Society for Horticulture Science in 2024.

Paschal, who is working on developing new courses, has presented research at the National Roadside Vegetation Management Association Meeting; the ASA, CSSA and SSSA International Annual Meeting; and multiple Arkansas Turfgrass Field Day events.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.