Dr. Lorenzo Rossi joined Texas A&M University in January 2025 as an Assistant Professor of Horticultural Plant Physiology, with 60% research, 30% teaching, and 10% service appointment. Before joining Texas A&M, he served as an Assistant and then Associate Professor at a University of Florida off-campus research center, where he began in 2018 and earned tenure in 2024. Motivated by a desire to work more closely with undergraduate students and collaborate across disciplines in a main campus environment, Dr. Rossi made the intentional decision to transition to Texas A&M and continue building innovative programs in horticultural sciences. Dr. Rossi’s research explores how crops respond to environmental stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and pollutants, integrating soil and root health to identify mechanisms of tolerance. His work focuses on fruit tree crops, especially citrus, peaches, pecans, olives, and grapes, and recently on selected vegetables. At Texas A&M, Dr. Rossi teaches HORT 201 Horticultural Science and Practices and HORT 202 Horticultural Science and Practices Laboratory, which together enroll nearly 900 students per year, as well as HORT 618 Root and Rhizosphere Biology for graduate students. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, mentored numerous students, secured nearly $5 million in research funding, and received multiple national awards recognizing excellence in teaching, leadership, and research. Website: https://hortphys.tamu.edu/ Program description: Our program studies how plants interact with the environment and how these interactions influence yield, stress tolerance, and fruit quality across Texas’ unique growing regions. We focus on key physiological topics such as: Rootstock-scion interactions Plant water use and efficiency Carbohydrate storage and translocation Plant responses to abiotic stress, including drought, heat, environmental pollutants, and poor soil conditions While fruit tree crops are a major focus, we also work with various small fruits and vegetables that are important to growers in Texas. Our goal is to bridge fundamental plant physiology with applied solutions, working closely with growers, Extension professionals, and industry stakeholders to ensure our research leads to practical outcomes. Through this work, we aim to support the success of Texas fruit growers, contribute to sustainable production systems, and train the next generation of scientists. We are always open to collaborations with researchers across disciplines and institutions who share our commitment to advancing fruit crop science.
