Ben Dunigan

Senator Hoffmann and SUNY Morrisville student Ben Dunigan taste a freshly grown tomato in the college's hydroponics garden.
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SUNY Morrisville President Ray Cross, students Bobby Rowe, Brian Buschynski, Mike Owens and Ben Dunigan accept a $14,000 check from Senator Hoffmann.

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. ­ November 14, 2002 – While all of his friends were going home for Christmas break last year, SUNY Morrisville student Ben Dunigan had different plans.

The 25-year-old horticulture student from Honesdale, Pennsylvania, stayed behind to start work on his project to raise and market hydroponically grown vegetables-crops that are grown in nutrient solutions rather than soil.

Dunigan conceived, organized and managed an entrepreneurial initiative, known as SUNY Morrisville's student-run Hydroponic Vegetable Model.The first demonstration of hydroponic vegetables was produced this past spring at the college.

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Instead of going home for Christmas break that year, Dunigan tackled the laborious task of dismantling and removing existing growing benches to make room for the project in one of the college's greenhouses.He worked through the week and made it home for Christmas day.

Other students also interested in hydroponics have joined Dunigan's efforts.Together they obtained grants that enabled the college's Horticulture Club to purchase equipment and install a demonstration system.

Once the project was running, Dunigan stayed on campus during summer break this year to work on the model and market the produce at the Hamilton Farmer's Market in Hamilton, New York.

He and fellow students continue to work on the project, to visit Cornell University to observe ongoing research to increase their knowledge of hydroponics and to apply for grants to further develop SUNY Morrisville's Hydroponic Vegetable Model.

In addition to Dunigan's time and expertise, enthusiasm has helped nurture the project's success.

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But Dunigan said he could not have seen the project through without the help of so many people.

"I was always surrounded with support and a feeling that people really cared about what I wanted to do," he said.

"I never expected to be recognized this way and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to help encourage the science at SUNY Morrisville," Dunigan said.

In addition to managing the student-run Hydroponic Vegetable Model, Dunigan is chairman of SUNY Morrisville's Campus Activities Board (CAB) and is past president of the college's Horticulture Club.

After he graduates from SUNY Morrisville, Dunigan plans to attend Cornell University and eventually work in the field of controlled environmental agriculture and greenhouse production.

SUNY Morrisville's horticulture program provides students with a wide range of training to enter various career fields and offers concentrations in floral design, horticulture production, landscape development and management and general transfer.The college has a student-operated floral shop and three greenhouses.