Nina Lauren Bassuk (Born February 16, 1952) is a Professor and Program Leader at the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University.
Bassuk received her B.S. in Horticulture from Cornell University in 1974 and her Ph.D. in Horticulture from the University of London in 1980.
Bassuk has worked in the Horticulture Department of Cornell University since 1980. In 1993, she became the Program Leader at the Urban Horticulture Institute. Her teaching, research and extension efforts directed at enhancing the function and health of plants growing in urban and disturbed areas.
Through her work researching the physiological problems of plants growing in urban environments, she has developed several technologies to improve establishment and health of plants, including development of ‘CU-Structural Soil,’ for which she holds a patent with her colleague Jason Grabosky. She has authored over 100 papers focusing on the physiological problems of plants growing in urban environments.
Nina serves on the technical advisory committee of the Sustainable Sites Initiative and is on the board of New York State Urban Forestry Council.
Coauthor, Trees in the Urban Landscape with Peter Trowbridge
2015 Alex L. Shigo Award for Excellence in Arboricultural Education, International Society of Arboriculture
2015 Senior Scholars Award, New York State Arborists Association
2015 Olmsted Award, National Arbor Day Foundation
2015 Stephen H.Weiss Presidential Fellowship, Cornell University
2015 American Horticultural Society Teaching Award
2014-2015 CALS Featured Faculty
2014 New York State Urban Forestry Council 10 years award
2012 Sustainable Sites Initiative certification of Cornell University's Mann Library Landscape.
2010 Merrill Presidential Advisor nomination
2008 Scott Foundation Award and Medal
2007 Society of Municipal Arborists presidential appreciation award
2007 Founders Award for New York Urban and Community Forestry Council
2007 CALS Teaching Award of Merit from the National Association of College Teachers of Agriculture.
2007 Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Florence Hoard Landscape Beautification Award
2005- David Allee Campus/County Connection Award from Association of Natural Resources Professionals/NY
2004- New York State Nursery and Landscape Association Gold Medal of Horticulture Award
2004 One of 3 finalist teams for the World Trade Center Memorial competition, NYC
2003 David Allee Campus-Connection award from Assn. of Natural Resource Extension Professionals/NY
2002- Society of Municipal Arborists Award of Merit
2002 – Award for contributions to Urban Forestry, NY State Council on Urban and Community Forestry
2001 – Elected Fellow, International Plant Propagators Society
2000 – Norman Jay Colman Award for noteworthy nursery research contributions from the American Nursery and Landscape Association
1999 – Outstanding New Publication Award: NYS Agricultural Agents
1999 – Outstanding Research in Arboriculture: International Soc. Arboriculture
