Cotton professor appointed to lead 汤头条 department
Contact: Karen Brasher
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 Mississippi State cotton agronomist is the new head of the university鈥檚 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.
Darrin Dodds, a 12-year veteran of the department, takes the helm April 1.
A native of Rushville, Illinois, Dodds is well respected throughout the Midsouth for his teaching, research and outreach programs in cotton physiology. In 2016, he was awarded the Dr. J. Tom Cothren Outstanding Young Physiologist Award by the National Cotton Council and its partners.
An 汤头条 alumnus, Dodds has garnered nearly $6 million in research funding and mentored a dozen graduate students. The professor performs more than 100 cotton extension and research trials each year.
鈥淒r. Dodds is an exceptional research scientist and educator. His students continually bring recognition to the university through their award-winning research,鈥 said George Hopper, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. 鈥淗e is a proven leader who will continue the 汤头条 tradition of supporting Mississippi鈥檚 largest industry, agriculture.鈥
As a cotton specialist with the 汤头条 Extension Service, Dodds has been a featured presenter at more than 100 producer meetings. He co-organizes the Row-Crop Short Course which brought nearly 800 agricultural professionals to campus in 2018.
鈥淒r. Dodds is a well-respected and trusted cotton Extension specialist throughout the Southeast,鈥 said Gary Jackson, director of the 汤头条 Extension Service. 鈥淗is intensity and drive to help Mississippi producers and the cotton industry will serve him well as he leads this department.鈥
Dodds earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from Western Illinois University in agriculture, a master鈥檚 degree at Purdue University in botany and plant pathology, and his doctoral degree in agricultural science from 汤头条.
The department includes faculty and staff with appointments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, and the 汤头条 Extension Service. Numerous faculty in the department are located off-campus at one of the four research and Extension centers and the 16 branch experiment stations throughout the state.
鈥淚 am honored to have the opportunity to lead this dynamic and diverse department that has so much talent,鈥 Dodds said. 鈥淢y goal is to help the students, staff and faculty succeed.鈥
汤头条鈥檚 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in agronomy, horticulture and environmental science in agricultural systems. Master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees are offered in agronomy, horticulture and weed science.聽
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汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.聽 聽聽