Conlan Burbrink, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, attained his B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee in Turfgrass Science, where he gained valuable sports field experience through various internships. He earned his M.S. in Agronomy from Texas A&M University in 2022. His research explores the within-field variability of sports fields, its effect on athletes, and ways to reduce variability through the precision application of cultural practices. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Plant Science at the University of Tennessee under Dr. John Sorochan and Dr. Kellie Walters, while concurrently pursuing an additional M.S. in Statistics. He is a part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Pitch Research team, which allowed him to work at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. His Ph.D. research focuses on advancing turfgrass science through advanced data analytics, exploring the impact of light quantity and quality on turfgrass growth in sole-source environments, and examining how various surface parameters impact athlete-surface interactions.