About

Built on independent expertise

Larry Stowell, Ph.D., and Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D., founded PACE Turf in 1988 to provide objective, science-based information to the turf management community. In 2022, Micah Woods, Ph.D., acquired the information service after collaborating with Larry and Wendy for many years.

Read about the 2022 leadership transition

PACE Turf today

Our membership brings together weekly research updates, location-specific weather intelligence, practical tools, and two decades of turf management knowledge—all on an independent platform.

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Meet the team

Micah Woods, Ph.D.

CEO

Micah Woods is the CEO of PACE Turf. After earning his BSc from Oregon State University in 1998, he worked as a golf course superintendent in China and Japan before studying with Frank Rossi at Cornell University, where he completed a Ph.D. in horticulture in 2006. His research on turfgrass nutrition and soil nutrient analysis—spanning grasses and soils across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America—led to our development of the MLSN guidelines, which apply to turf in all climate zones, or as he puts it, “any grass, anywhere.”

He is also chief scientist of the Asian Turfgrass Center, which he founded in 2006. Since 2009 he has been an adjunct professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee. Micah keeps his eyes on the ground, studying turfgrass wherever he is, and that hands-on approach shows in writing, presentations, and teaching praised for their accessible, engaging, and practical style. He has given keynote and educational presentations at conferences around the world, and is the author of more than two hundred articles in publications ranging from GOLF Magazine to Soil Science, along with books including A Short Grammar of Greenkeeping, One Bucket at a Time, and a Japanese-language book on turfgrass science and greenkeeping with a title that translates as 'Micah's Time "The BOOK."'

Maggie Reiter, M.S.

CTO

Maggie leads technology and product at PACE Turf. She rebuilt the platform for the 2026 relaunch, with a focus on making PACE Turf’s science faster to find and more useful to members around the world.

She is also the lead scientist at Sunday, where her work spans turfgrass science, software, product development, and AI. Previously, she led turfgrass extension programs at the University of Minnesota and the University of California. Maggie earned her B.S. and M.S. at the University of Minnesota, where she worked on fine fescues. She divides her time between California and Minnesota.

Larry J. Stowell, Ph.D. & Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D.

Co-Founders and Emeritus Research Directors

Larry and Wendy founded PACE Turf by bringing together their expertise in plant pathology, agronomy, crop science, entomology, and integrated pest management. Their shared focus on translating turfgrass research into practical management solutions established the approach PACE Turf continues today. In addition to being business partners, Wendy and Larry have been married since 1986, and live in San Diego, California. They were selected by the GCSAA as recepients of the organization's Outstanding Contribution Award in 2025.

Larry J. Stowell, Ph.D.

Larry is a plant pathologist who received his training at the University of Arizona, where he obtained his B.S. and Ph.D., and at the University of California, Davis, where he conducted post-doctoral research until 1982. Before founding PACE, Larry was the Director of Mycoherbicide Development at the agricultural biotechnology company, Mycogen Corporation.

Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D.

Wendy is an entomologist who received her B.S. from Cornell University 1976 and her Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in 1984. Before joining PACE in 1995, Wendy was the Director of Commercial Development for the agricultural biotechnology company Mycogen Corporation, where she worked for 11 years.