Staff & Student Assistants
Greenhouse Manager
Marianne Harris
Marianne Harris has managed the Biology Teaching Greenhouse at Utah State University since March 2001, marking more than 25 years of leadership supporting teaching, research, and experiential learning across the Biology curriculum. A 1998 honors graduate of USU in Environmental Studies with a plant and biology science emphasis, she brings deep institutional knowledge and a long‑standing commitment to maintaining the greenhouse as a dynamic, student‑centered learning environment.
Building on the greenhouse’s long history, Marianne has expanded, diversified, and carefully maintained living plant collections, strengthening their teaching and research value while nurturing long‑established specimens. She oversees day‑to‑day operations, curates diverse collections, supervises student staff, and collaborates closely with faculty to ensure reliable, hands‑on access to living materials throughout Utah’s highly variable seasons. Under her stewardship, the greenhouse supports instruction across multiple levels of the Biology curriculum and remains a welcoming, hands‑on learning environment for students, faculty, and the broader campus community.
Marianne’s professional interests include native plants, plant–insect interactions, ethnobotany, and sustainable growing practices. She is an active member of the Association of Education and Research Greenhouse Curators (AERGC) and the Utah Native Plant Society. In addition to her work in the greenhouse, she volunteers with the USU Aggie Cat Program, reflecting her broader commitment to ecological care and community involvement.
marianne.harris@usu.edu
(435) 797‑3341
GEOL, Greenhouse
Student Greenhouse Assistants
Student employees play a vital role in daily greenhouse operations, plant care, and instructional support. Through hands‑on work, they gain practical experience in plant cultivation, propagation, and greenhouse management while supporting teaching and research across the Biology curriculum.
Zachary Ross
Zachary Ross is a Greenhouse Assistant, majoring in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Zachary has always had a love for the outdoors, spending the majority of his free time fishing or hiking up Logan Canyon. Coming to the greenhouse, he is most interested in propagation and pruning, having always had an interest in shaping and trimming plants to better suit their space and appear healthier and more visually pleasing. His largest interest, however, would lie with the pond and the small Guppy population that inhabits it. Having kept aquariums since a young age, tackling and conquering a challenge like the pond we have here was an unmissable opportunity. With a love for both aquatic and terrestrial environments, the opportunity couldn't be better.
Hannah Jolley
Hannah Jolley is a Greenhouse Assistant, majoring in Plant Science here at USU. She loves being around plants, and her favorite hobbies are those that let her be closer to them, such as hiking, camping, and gardening. She particularly loves working at the greenhouse because she gets to observe and care for a wide variety of plants she wouldn't be able to see otherwise.
Daniel Arnold
Daniel is a Greenhouse Assistant, majoring in plant science with an emphasis on research. He’s always had a strong appreciation for plants and the diversity of life they represent. Working in the greenhouse has been a perfect opportunity to observe and learn from the wide variety of species grown there.
When he's not in class or tending plants, he enjoys spending time hiking or camping in natural spaces and finding moments of quiet connection with the world around him. The greenhouse, with its ever-changing life and subtle rhythms, has become a favorite place to deepen his curiosity, understanding, and love of plant life.