Dr. Muthukumar Bagavathiannan (PD), Professor of Weed Science & Agronomy, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Dr. Bagavathiannan is a specialist in integrated weed management and sustainable agronomic practices. He has extensive experience with organic agriculture research and education, previously participating as a PD/CO-PD on three USDA organic program-funded projects. He will serve as the PD for this project and will plan and direct proposed activities. He will also provide expertise and supervise research personnel on the organic production and weed control aspects of the project. Texas A&M University is a Hispanic Serving Institution.
Assistant Professor, Weed Science and Cropping System, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Lubbock, Texas
Dr. Burke specializes in soil and water conservation efforts in semi-arid cropping systems. His program enhances agricultural resiliency in semi-arid regions through sustainable soil and water management. He will serve as a co-PI for this project and assist with the field experiments on the Southern High Plains. An expert in scientific communications, he will also assist in communicating project results to local, state, regional, and national stakeholders.
Assistant Professor of Soil Science, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX
Dr. Dattamudi’s research focuses on agroecology and sustainable agriculture. He is actively involved in undergraduate and graduate student education at TAMU-K, focusing on sustainable agricultural systems. Dr. Dattamudi will oversee and participate in the educational objective of this project and mentor a total of 5 undergraduate student interns from TAMU-K. TAMU-K is a Hispanic Serving Institution.
Professor of Sociology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
Dr. Constance’s research is focused on the community aspects of the agrifood system. More recently, his work is in the area of alternative food systems, especially sustainable and organic agriculture, as it relates to sustainability issues and climate change. He is the past Editor of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences and past Chair of the USDA Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Dr. Constance will conduct sociological focus groups and surveys, in collaboration with Dr. Choi (Co-PD), in identifying social barriers and opportunities for organic cotton production in the US.
Professor of Sociology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
Dr. Choi’s research is focused on social issues of underserved and unprivileged populations. Specifically, her research addresses disparity issues, focusing on the roles of social contexts and individual characteristics. Dr. Choi will conduct sociological focus groups and surveys, in collaboration with Dr. Constance (Co-PD), in identifying social barriers and opportunities for organic cotton production in the US.
Associate Professor, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM.
The goal of Dr. Schutte’s research program is to develop weed management strategies that are applicable and appropriate for agricultural systems in the southwestern United States. Through diversification, his program aims to make weed management programs more reliable and more cost-effective in the long term. Dr. Schutte will oversee the proposed field research and outreach activities in New Mexico.
Research Scientist, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Lubbock, TX
Dr. Kelly’s primary research focus is the understanding of individual fiber properties, how they relate to one another and to yarn quality, then determining how to best apply this knowledge within a conventional breeding program. Overall, her breeding objective is to develop new germplasm She has been a part of previous breeding projects focused on developing cultivars for organic production. Dr. Kelly will establish cotton germplasm field trials for identifying cotton lines with weed-suppressive traits valuable to organic systems.
Dr. Archie Flanders is agricultural economist for the Soil Health Institute. He assesses the economics of soil health-promoting practices and land management systems. Analytical methods focus on field activities and inputs associated with adopting soil health management systems for agricultural production. Results evaluate potential for increasing farm profit while improving soil health and minimizing environmental externalities. He works with producers and agricultural researchers to develop decision support tools that farmers and ranchers can use to make informed decisions about production practices on a field basis, optimizing soil health while realizing economic efficiencies.
Regents Fellow and Extension Program Specialist, Stephenville Research and Extension Center, Stephenville, TX
Bob Whitney is an expert in organic production and organic compliance and certification. He provides statewide Extension support for organic crop production in Texas. His outreach activities can be found at https://agrilifeorganic.org/. Bob will be involved in various outreach activities proposed in the project.
Professor of Agroecology, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Dr. Rajan is a specialist in climate-smart farming, with extensive experience in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon dynamics. Dr. Rajan is a PD/CO-PD on two ORG program-funded projects. She will be leading the proposed experiments pertaining to soil carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions
Professor, Texas Tech University/Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension, Lubbock, TX
Dr. Dotray is a specialist in weed management research and extension focusing on cotton and other crops grown in rotation with cotton. He specifically investigates options for integrated management of weeds to thwart weed adaptation to management tools such as herbicides. He also investigates the challenges and opportunities for weed management in reduced tillage systems. Dr. Dotray will assist with field research and outreach activities associated with the project in the Texas High Plains.
Associate Research Scientist, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Dr. Subramanian’s research is focused on the physiology and molecular biology of weedy plants, including their interactions with soil microbes. Some of her recent research activities focus on stress response and adaptation in weeds. She will assist with studying phosphate solubilizing bacteria and phosphatase enzyme activity in the proposed research sites.
Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Dr. Mowrer’s research focuses on the effect of soil fertility practices on water-capture and water-use efficiency in various production systems. He particularly aims at refining our understanding of tillage, residue and fertility management to achieve goals in sustainability and profitability. His extension efforts provide leadership and education in the areas of soil fertility and water resource stewardship. He is currently a Co-PD in an ORG-funded project on organic cotton in Central and Gulf Coast Texas. Dr. Mowrer will oversee the experiments pertaining to soil fertility assessments, soil P dynamics and AMF activity.
Associate Professor, Texas Tech University/Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Lubbock, TX
Dr. Lewis’s program conducts research aimed at determining more practical soil fertilization and management strategies that will maintain or enhance the value and quality of soils and optimize nutrient use efficiency all while ensuring the longevity of farming operations. Dr. Lewis will assist with field research and outreach activities associated with the project in the Texas High Plains. Texas Tech is a Hispanic serving institution.
Director of Farm & Research, AgriCenter International
Dr. Kirksey manages field research activities at ACI. He works with all segments of the agriculture industry on a wide range of agronomic crops. He has over 30-years of experience conducting and managing field research. Dr. Kirksey will be responsible for conducting the field experiments in the TN location and also participate in pertinent outreach and educational activities at the center.
Dr. Sciligo is the Director of Science Programs and directs projects associated with communicating and conducting research related to organic agriculture. She has extensive experience communicating scientific research to the public, farmers, policymakers and other researchers and has managed several OREI-funded conferences and planning grant projects. The main goal of Dr. Sciligo’s research is to understand how farming practices that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services can be better supported at all farm scales. She hopes that by finding barriers to and opportunities for adoption, policy can more feasibly support farmers to adopt practices that simultaneously protect the land and support the economic health of their farms, while improving their own livelihoods and the livelihoods of their local communities.
Dr. Elias Miller is the Science Programs Manager at The Organic Center, where he leads initiatives to advance scientific understanding and promote sustainable practices in agriculture. With a background in environmental studies and biology, Elias is deeply invested in integrating Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, enhancing science education, and improving food systems.
Elias' research interests in STEM education and ecology inform his role of overseeing impactful research programs within the organic agriculture sector. His work at The Organic Center reflects his commitment to advancing both scientific knowledge and practical solutions that benefit the environment and communities.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Elias manages a multi-species rotational grazing system, including a flock of laying hens and sheep, demonstrating his dedication to sustainable farming practices. Elias’ unique combination of scientific expertise and personal passion for agriculture underscores his dedication to practices that ensure a sustainable future for farming. His primary role will be to manage and coordinate communication and administrative efforts required to execute all outreach tasks for The Organic Center.
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The Organic Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and education organization based out of Washington D.C. Our mission is to conduct and convene credible, evidence-based science on the environmental and health effects of organic food and farming and communicate the findings to the public.