By Faith Peppers


University of Georgia

With a $1.5 million endowment from the Georgia Research Alliance
and the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Seed Development
Commission, the University of Georgia is searching for a new
eminent scholar in crop genomics.

The position, developed in the UGA College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, will be the third endowed position the
GRA has helped establish in the CAES. The others were Steve
Stice and Clifton Baile in animal and dairy science.

The search for the new scholar is under way. It will close April
15.

“Continued research in Georgia is vital to our growth,” said
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin, who presented the
college $750,000 toward the endowment.

“If we don’t have a continuous stream of new cultivars coming
out,” Irvin said, “we would one day find ourselves behind and
wondering how it happened as we watch production move to other
parts of the country. You have to invest in the future to stay
ahead.”

Genomics offers new approaches to quickly identify the genes
responsible for key aspects of plant growth, development and
performance.

“The eminent scholar will address such needs in a number of
crops that have modest national impact but are of great
importance in Georgia and the Southeast,” said Al Smith, head of
CAES crop and soil sciences.

Georgia has already invested more in expertise and
infrastructure than any other state in the region, Smith said.
Adding an eminent scholar, he said, will enable the fastest
possible commercialization of biotechnology.

“Georgia is poised to become the leader in biotechnology
research in the Southeastern region of the United States, as
well as a leader nationwide,” he said.