By Stephanie Schupska
University of
Georgia

University of Georgia professor and Cooperative Extension peanut agronomist John
P. Beasley Jr. received the D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Extension
Oct. 3 in Athens, Ga.

The award, which includes a framed certificate and $5,000, is given in honor of D.W.
Brooks, founder of Gold Kist Inc. and Cotton States Mutual Insurance Companies.
Brooks was an advisor on agriculture and trade issues to seven U.S. presidents.

Beasley is based at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’
Tifton campus. His applied research program focuses on peanut management and
economically competitive production systems.

His priority is to develop educational programs and use technology transfer
methods to deliver peanut production information to county Extension agents and
peanut growers in Georgia. He works closely with other UGA Extension and research
faculty on the UGA peanut team to develop and deliver information that makes
Georgia farmers more productive and profitable.

Beasley was hired as a UGA assistant professor and Extension peanut agronomist in
1985. He was granted tenure as an associate professor in 1991 and promoted to
professor in 1996.

Beasley has won many awards, including being named a fellow of both the American
Society of Agronomy and the American Peanut Research and Education Society. He
was awarded the APRES Award of Excellence in Education (Extension), the ASA
Southern Branch Early Career and Career Awards in Technology Transfer, the
Georgia Crop Improvement Association Distinguished Service Award and the
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation Valor Award for dedicated service to peanut
producers and the peanut industry.

Other D.W. Brooks honorees this year were Allan M.
Armitage, teaching; Joseph F.
Frank, research; Sandra F.
McKinney, public service extension programs; and
Anna V.A.
Resurreccion, international agriculture.