Oklahoma State University: A Rewarding Return

Press release from Oklahoma State University:

2021-12-17

Media Contact:
Samantha Siler | Communications and Marketing Manager | 405-744-2977 | samantha.siler@okstate.edu

When a young Sequoyah County boy stepped onto Oklahoma State University’s campus for
the first time with his fellow 4-H’ers, he never expected to return many years later
to transform all that surrounded him.

Steve Dobbs, OSU director of landscape services, has been beautifying the Stillwater
campus — almost 900 acres — for nearly 12 years.

“I found my niche and my passion, so I have been very pleased with the path I chose,”
Dobbs said. “I never envisioned what it has turned out to be since then.”

Growing up in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, Dobbs was involved on his family’s ranch and local
4-H club where he discovered an interest in plants and gardening. His connections
and experiences within 4-H led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in horticulture at OSU in 1981.

During an undergraduate internship with OSU Extension, Dobbs worked with the county office in Claremore, Oklahoma, on various outdoor projects
and became a resource for the public’s questions, Dobbs said.

“I have always thrived on being creative and on how to educate and teach people,”
Dobbs said.

As the intern, he wrote weekly columns and taught classes about gardening. He eventually
found a way to tie together horticulture and education with his creative nature, Dobbs
said.

After graduation, Dobbs accepted a job with OSU Extension as an agriculture/horticulture
agent in Muskogee County to answer consumer horticulture questions, work with 4-H’ers,
present agricultural programs, and start the county’s first Master Gardener Program,
he said.

The Master Gardener Program is a national program Dobbs was involved with in locations
across Oklahoma. Within this program, Dobbs led volunteers through demonstration gardens
to gain knowledge and experience of working in the outdoors, he said.

Three years later, Dobbs began his master’s degree in horticulture at the University
of Arkansas. Upon graduation in 1986, Dobbs took a job in Pensacola, Florida, where
he hosted gardening television shows, wrote weekly columns and collaborated with the
Master Gardener Program in the state, he said.

Later, Dobbs was promoted to an administrative role in southern Florida for a year
and a half before returning to OSU Extension in the early 1990s as the state Extension
consumer horticulture specialist.

“Never again in my wildest dreams would I have expected to be back at OSU,” Dobbs
said.

In this position, Dobbs coordinated the Oklahoma Master Gardener Program with other
state specialists and was a resource for OSU Extension horticulture educators across
the state for five years. In addition, he hosted the “Oklahoma Gardening” TV show
from 1990 to 1995.

This role allowed him to combine education and entertainment through creative media
by sharing timely gardening segments with gardening enthusiasts and the horticulture
industry, Dobbs said.

Dobbs then made a career shift to help his mother run their family’s ranch after his
father’s death, he said.

During this time, he built his own greenhouse business and began writing gardening
books, such as the “Oklahoma Gardening Guide.”

A few years later, Dobbs said he took a job at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
with ground maintenance and was later promoted to an administrative role. Then, a
new opportunity would plant him, his wife and kids where his roots run deep.

“It is really interesting how life works,” Dobbs said. “God has orchestrated my life,
and all the doors opened and everything came together to prepare me for this bigger
challenge.”

In 2010, Dobbs accepted the director of landscape services position at OSU and worked
tirelessly with former OSU President Burns Hargis and other administrators to bring
life to their vision of beautifying the Stillwater campus, he said.

After many updates in the OSU Landscape Master Plan, focus on expanding irrigation
and standardizing elements began in 2011, Dobbs said. Transforming the grounds has
been an ongoing process ever since then.

“It has been a great decade at OSU because of student growth, campus beautification,
new buildings and sports,” Dobbs said. “It has been fun to be a part of that, and
the landscape services staff have worked hard to make campus beautification happen.”

Tyler Troppman, a horticulturist for OSU Facilities Management Landscape Services,
said Dobbs has been a huge help in guiding him through his role on campus. Troppman
said he enjoys picking Dobbs’ brain about plants and horticulture trends.

“Dobbs is cutting edge when it comes to plants and what we use in our gardens,” Troppman
said. “He likes to have the newest, best and brightest for campus in all our plantings.”

One of Dobbs’ favorite projects was creating the Welcome Plaza in collaboration with
staff, faculty and students.

“When people get out of the car, we want a ‘wow’ moment,” Dobbs said. “We want a garden
that when they walk through, they know what OSU is all about.”

Extensive amounts of time and effort went into planning this garden area, Dobbs said.
The OSU letters are strategically placed to be in the background of photos taken on
the saddle, Dobbs said. The foal, named Immortal, represents students ready to change
the world. The mare, named Proud, represents faculty, staff and alumni keeping a watchful
eye on the foal trying to sprint ahead, Dobbs explained.

“You cannot get better OSU branding than going to that garden,” Dobbs said. “It’s
a perfect example of using a space to relay a message and to connect with people.
That is the garden’s whole purpose.”

Another project that means a lot to Dobbs is the Cowboy Family Tree near Theta Pond.

His vision for this project was to create an art piece recognizing the importance
of trees on campus and those who donate to the planting and maintenance of OSU’s urban
forest, Dobbs said.

“Steve looks and strives to always make the most out of all our spaces on campus,”
said Nicholas Ouellette, OSU landscape design coordinator. “He is the mastermind when
it comes to coming up with a layout and figuring out how to portray it.”

Dobbs said he constantly reminds his staff that they work every day to change the
lives of students.

“We love to have student input,” Dobbs said. “That’s why we’re here, and that’s why
we try to involve them in so many things.”

Many landscape projects were initiated by students, Dobbs said. When a student approaches
him with an idea, he collaborates with them through the process of gaining funds,
creating designs, and guiding conversations of maintenance, he said.

Ouellette said landscape services staff take student and faculty involvement seriously
and work with them to piece their ideas together.

“I don’t think people realize how much the facilities management staff really does
interact with students and try to gain understanding of what they want in a lot of
projects,” Ouellette said. “Dobbs is willing to listen to anyone’s idea.”

Some student-initiated projects include the Orange Grove hammock area, the Christmas
lights display and an upcoming remembrance garden honoring those lost in the Cowboy
Family.

“The best thing about this job is working with the students and their enthusiasm,”
Dobbs said. “Their ideas are creative.”

Dobbs emphasized the tremendous value and hard work the OSU facilities management
landscape services staff offer to him and the campus. He credited them for how their
teamwork helps make the campus what it looks like today.

“We’re the lucky ones to have him,” Ouellette said. “He really has a good ability
to gain people’s respect and to get people devoted to come to work and accomplish
tasks on campus.”

John Lee, landscape installation services assistant manager, followed Dobbs’ work
for years leading up to applying to be on his team at OSU.

Lee said Dobbs’ friendly nature and ability to problem solve make him a special leader.

“Dobbs is always pushing the envelope of new and better plans,” Lee said. “When you
have such talented people who can work together and can be on the same page, campus
sure shows what that looks like.”

Ouellette said Dobbs puts the “big picture” ideas in the hands of staff to help make
them come to life.

“There are so many people who admire Steve and admire what he does and stands for,”
Ouellette said.

Dobbs works hard to direct and focus his team on moving forward and prioritizing projects
that will make the most impact on campus, Lee said.

“The message still stays the same,” Dobbs said. “It is all about the students’ education
and how those experiences here change their lives, hopefully for the better, and part
of that is what we do because of their experiences outside."

Story By: Carli Eubank | Cowboy Journal

This press release was produced by Oklahoma State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.