Staff Matters: Greenhouse Guru Chris Claussen

If you’re looking for a place to conduct a long-term study on the genetics of geraniums or even if you just need to know how much to water the gardenias you bought at your local garden center, you’ll find the answers you need at the UVA greenhouse. 

Tucked into the space between Gilmer Hall and the UVA Aquatic & Fitness Center, the College’s 10,000 square foot greenhouse was built over 50 years ago, but its nine bays for storing, propagating, and growing plants for education and research have been upgraded in recent years to contain all the mechanical enhancements and computer technology of a state-of-the-art facility.

The heart of the operation, however, is greenhouse manager Chris Claussen

A horticulturalist with experience managing greenhouse operations for industry and universities, Claussen studied business as an undergraduate and ran a glass-blowing studio for ten years before deciding to go back to school to study horticulture.

His experience with growing techniques using artificial lighting, LED technology and hydroponics earned him jobs at the University of Connecticut, Brown University and an Indiana-based agricultural start-up, but a job opening at UVA brought him to Charlottesville four years ago.

Managing the greenhouse, and 14 additional growth chambers housed in the Chemistry Building, calls on Claussen to be a master of plant care but also a plumber, an electrician and a mechanic, and it finds him managing staff, purchasing and other administrative tasks the facilities require to operate year round.

“I do it all on a daily basis, but I love my job.  I love what I do, and if I didn’t, I’d be in a lot of trouble,” said Claussen, who finds himself on Grounds seven days a week, stopping in often on weekends just to make sure things are running smoothly.

“The greenhouse is a laboratory space, and it’s important that it’s functioning well in order for the research to be successful,” Claussen said.

For the most part, the facility and its staff support the work of researchers, educators and students in the Department of Biology, but Claussen said its resources are available to anyone on Grounds who has a need for it.

“We’re a full-service facility,” Claussen said.  “Faculty and students have an idea of what they need to do with their plants, and it’s my job to make sure that I get them that end result.”

But Claussen also sees the greenhouse as part of the life of the University.  Faculty, staff and students are also welcome to stop by the greenhouse to spend time with the plants or to bring him questions about their own, Claussen said.  “It’s all part of our service to the community.”