Ciscoe Morris - Gardening with Ciscoe

Ciscoe is well known in the media. KING5 TV airs his popular gardening segments with Meeghan Black as well as his half hour show "Gardening with Ciscoe". Other TV spots include his weekly Q & A show, ‘Gardening with Ciscoe Live', on Northwest Cable News and regularappearances on 'Gardening by the Yard' on the Home and Garden cable network. You can catch his gardening advice mixed with a hearty dose of humor every Saturday morning on News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. His book, ‘Ask Ciscoe', was among the top selling garden books nationwide. He has also co-authored books on roses and perennials. You will also find his garden advice in the Thursday edition of the Seattle Times. In his off-time, Ciscoe has fun working in his Seattle garden which has been featured in several publications. Dogs and travel are his other passions. He manages to blend travel and gardens as he leads garden tours to countries all over the world.

Bill Miller - Professor, Cornell University

Bill has studied flower bulbs and tulips for more than 25 years. He grew up on a lily farm in northern California, and completed his Ph.D. at Cornell in 1986, investigating carbohydrate metabolism in lilies. He currently directs the Flower Bulb Research Program, a collaboration with the Dutch Export industry and scientists.  His research activities are in greenhouse crop physiology, including Flowerbulb horticulture and physiology, plant carbohydrate metabolism, postharvest physiology and handling of pot and cut flower crops and bareroot herbaceous perennials.

Michel Gauthier - President MGB Tourfest Inc. - Ottawa

Michel has distinguished himself in the festival and tourism industry, accumulating the expertise and developing the leadership qualities that assure his continued success. He commenced his career in 1974 with the City of Ottawa Recreation and Culture Department as Director of Community Centres and Manager of Community Relations and Special Events. In 1981, at the National Capital Commission, he served as Program Director for Winterlude before assuming the position of Executive Director from 1984 to 1988. From 1988 to 1992, Michel managed and marketed various events in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. He managed the Canadian Tulip Festival from 1992 to 2005. Since 2005, Michel has been part of creating International Flora Montréal while providing various consulting services as President of MGB Tourfest inc.. Membership and professional associations involvement include: was President of the Canadian Association of Festivals and Events, Canadian representative on the International Festivals and Events Association, President of Festival and Events Ontario, executive member of the Ottawa Festival Network , board member of the Tourism Ottawa, member of Festival et événement Québec; and now board member of the International Peace Garden Foundation , Chair of the World Tulip Summit, board member of Canada Blooms, board member of OTMPC and guest speaker at tourism, recreation and festival conferences.

Tim Miller - Extension Weed Scientist, WSU Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center

Tim's weed science program at the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Research and Extension Center endeavors to (1) develop, coordinate, and deliver extension and formal educational programs to improve the understanding of weed science principles in Washington; (2) provide leadership in the evaluation of herbicides and organic weed control techniques for efficacy and crop safety in minor crops (seed crops, ornamental bulbs, small fruit, and vegetable crops), and determine their potential impact on rotational crops grown in western Washington; and (3) provide answers for management of non-crop, riparian, and noxious weeds in Washington.

Tim has conducted research trials of agricultural weeds in a variety of crops and western Washington noxious weeds (474 trials including 10,725 individual treatments since 1997). Results from these trials have contributed toward new and continuing Section 3 federal labels, Section 18 emergency use labels, and Section 24(c) special local needs labels (total of 55 registrations for 29 different herbicides in 23 different crops). He has also given 373 presentations to an estimated 27,000 people on a variety of weed, agricultural, and horticultural topics since 1997.

Gary's research specialties and interests include epidemiology and management of Phytophthora ramorum in nurseries, christmas trees and forests; the etiology, epidemiology and management of ornamental bulb crop and christmas tree diseases, as well as factors that affect the postharvest quality and safety of christmas trees.

He has professional experience as a Plant Pathologist & Extension Specialist with WSU, an Associate Plant Pathologist at WSU in Pullman, an Assistant Plant Pathologist also with WSU, and a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Lecturer at the University of California.

Nurhan Atasoy, Prof. Dr. - Resident Scholar of the Turkish Cultural Foundation

During her academic life, Prof. Dr. Atasoy attended and lectured at many international congresses and symposiums, and participated in research and international meetings on Turkish and Islamic art throughout the world. Prof. Dr. Atasoy has numerous publications, including 80 articles and 20 books, of which the following are of distinctive importance: Iznik: Ottoman Pottery of Turkey, (with Julian Raby), (London 1989); The Art of Islam, (with A. Bahnassi and M. Rogers), (Paris 1990); 1582 Surname-i Hümayun: An Imperial Celebration (Istanbul 1997); Otağı Hümayun: The Ottoman Imperial Tent Complex (Istanbul 2000); IPEK: Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets (London 2001) and A Garden for the Sultan: Gardens and flowers in the Ottoman Culture (Istanbul 2002) are of distinctive importance.

Prof. Dr. Atasoy holds many awards and titles from many esteemed national and international institutions such as a medal of Pro Merito from the Council of Europe, Strasbourg 1984; Memphis Municipality (U.S.A.), Honorary Citizenship, 1989; a Medallion and cash prize from the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization award for the year 1992 in recognition of outstanding performance in the field of Fine Arts), 1993; Award for the outstanding performance in Turkish Museum Studies and Archaeology, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey, 1993; The selection of "Otağı Humayun: Imperial Ottoman Tents", (Istanbul 2000) as the "Book of the Year" by the Textile Society of America and monetary award, 2000, Senior Fellowship of the Deptment of Landscape, Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University 2004 and State Award for Superior Achievement, 2006.