Adam Thoms, associate professor in horticulture, is the recipient of the faculty 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Advising Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. He demonstrates his advising philosophy of making sure that students come first and personally assists them as they navigate their college years – academically, professionally and personally. His contributions have made a positive difference in the lives of students studying turfgrass science.
Thoms takes time to meet with prospective students when they first step on campus. In addition to the academic conversations, he offers to take students and their family to Jack Trice Stadium, Veenker Golf Course and other Iowa State facilities to meet the staff that cares for the field. This helps showcase the learning that students will experience while at Iowa State and demonstrate what the students can do with their degree.
His advisees include first-year through senior level students learning turfgrass science for careers in the industry – from sports fields and golf courses to lawncare and sod production to academia. Thoms meets regularly with his advisees to make sure their four-year plan correctly achieves the technical competencies required for the specific sector of turfgrass science that they are pursuing. But for Thoms, advising is much more than just scheduling classes and making graduation plans. “The students need to feel they come first and that they have someone to help them, and that is what I strive to do,” he stated. “I hope that when they look back on their time at Iowa State, they remember me as someone who cared about them and helped them succeed in their journey.”
Thoms is also advisor to the Iowa State Turf Club. He is dedicated to training teams for the Sports Field Managers Association Study Challenge and Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Turf Bowl, where turf club members compete against other turfgrass programs around the U.S. and Canada. The contests are a challenging test of knowledge and skills that they compete in as a team of four. Thoms helps prepare the students each fall for the contests in January and February. Typically, between 30 to 60 teams compete in these contests. Iowa State students have won the Sports Field Managers Association contest three times since Thoms’ arrival in 2016 and placed second two additional times. The students have placed in the top 10 several times for the Golf Course Superintendents Association as well.
A colleague stated, “Dr. Thoms helps train the next generation of turfgrass professionals. He assists his advisees with obtaining internships and employment after graduation, and his advisees are competitive for prestigious positions and/or graduate school.” His students have secured top sports turf positions at team facilities, including the Miami Dolphins (professional football), Kansas City Current (professional soccer), Iowa Cubs (baseball), multiple soccer clubs, golf courses, public athletic grounds, and lawn and landscape maintenance enterprises. He also has former undergraduate and graduate student advisees who are now faculty advisors and teaching turfgrass students.