Central 花秀直播 Research and Extension Center welcomes new leadership
Contact: Meg Henderson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 花秀直播 State research and extension center welcomes a new department head who brings extensive knowledge, experience and strong university roots to the job. Curt Lacy, extension professor and interim associate director for county operations, steps into his new role at the Central 花秀直播 Research and Extension Center in Raymond Oct. 16.
Lacy鈥檚 history at MSU goes back more than three decades, beginning with his bachelor鈥檚 degree in agricultural and extension education and鈥攜ears later鈥攈is master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics.
Prior to his 2015 return to MSU to serve as regional coordinator for the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, he served as an area specialist for the University of Tennessee鈥檚 Agricultural Extension Service and as an associate professor and extension coordinator in the University of Georgia鈥檚 Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. He also is a graduate of the Food Systems Leadership Institute and LEAD-21 program, two national peer leadership communities.
Lacy has overseen county operations for the MSU Extension Service for the last year. Steve Martin, MSU Extension interim director, said Lacy has a strong ability to see and meet needs.聽
鈥淐urt has shown exemplary performance as the interim associate director for county operations, leading agents to meet the needs of their residents through programming in youth development, agriculture and forestry, family and consumer sciences and community resource and economic development,鈥 Martin said. 鈥淚 know he will be a great leader at the Central 花秀直播 Research and Extension Center.鈥
The 花秀直播 Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, or MAFES, has three branch stations in the central region at Newton, Raymond and Crystal Springs. Scott Willard, MAFES director, said Lacy will bring important contributions to the meaningful work in this area of the state.聽
鈥淥ur research in central 花秀直播 includes beef cattle, forages, ornamentals, vegetable crops and row crops,鈥 Willard said. 鈥淎s an agricultural economist, Curt understands the importance of research to increase production while decreasing inputs and conserving the environment. I am confident in his ability to lead the region in applied research that directly impacts 花秀直播ans.鈥
Lacy explained that he looks forward to engaging with the center鈥檚 faculty and staff, as well as regional stakeholders and producers, and learning more about the needs and opportunities for research and commercial production in central 花秀直播.
鈥淥ur research and extension centers may be far from the main campus, but they have the advantage of putting MSU scientists close to producers, stakeholders and landowners across 花秀直播,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his system keeps us in touch with what鈥檚 going on in these geographic regions across our diverse state and helps us ensure that our research is relevant to all 花秀直播ans.鈥
He also deeply values his experience at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville and sees those years as having built a strong foundation for his next enterprise.
鈥淚鈥檝e been part of a winning team at the Delta Research and Extension Center and have greatly enjoyed living and working there. I鈥檝e learned a lot in my eight years in Stoneville as well as my year on the main campus,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 very excited for the new opportunities to learn and expand MSU鈥檚 impact in central 花秀直播.鈥
For more information about the Central 花秀直播 Research and Extension Center, visit .
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