About UT AgResearch and Our Leadership

Message from the Dean


Welcome to the UT AgResearch website!

Agriculture is the largest industry in the state of Tennessee and contributes approximately $74.8 billion (11 percent) to the state’s economy each year. The agricultural industry also provides approximately 357,000 jobs for our state. With more than 10.8 million acres of farmland, research has been and will continue to be the engine that drives our agricultural enterprise. Our cutting-edge research is used to train the next generation of agriculture professionals and the scientific innovations are disseminated to our end users for life-improving applications.

As the world population continues to grow (projected 9.8 billion by 2050), so does the demand for our farmers to produce more food, fiber, and fuel with fewer resources while also minimizing their impact on the environment. Established in 1882, the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, now AgResearch, has a proven track record of success for the past 137-plus years. Our ten AgResearch and Education Centers strategically located across the state provide the real-world settings for our faculty, graduate students, and other specialized professionals to conduct mission-oriented research and innovation. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to finding solutions to improve the lives of people in Tennessee and beyond.

Today AgResearch continues to broaden our research horizons as agriculture moves into a new era. We have started working on new transformational research initiatives in areas such as agricultural synthetic biology, plant and animal genomics, One Health, and smart agriculture. We tackle these grand challenges through collaborations with multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams made up of public and private partners across the campus, the state, the nation, and the globe.

Hongwei Xin, Dean and Director


Our Mission

"UT AgResearch advances science in agriculture and food systems, natural resource management, and family and consumer sciences."

We do this through the discovery of new knowledge, the innovation of these discoveries into new products and processes, and the application of these innovations to enhance the lives of citizens of Tennessee and the world.


See our new AgResearch Strategic Action Plan, 2021-2024

Discover More about UT AgResearch

Executive Team

Hongwei Xin Profile Page
Hongwei Xin
Dean And Professor
Kim Linton
Assistant to the Dean

Administration

Cynthia L Nichols Profile Page
Cynthia L Nichols
Budget Director | AgResearch Administration
Timothy G Rials Profile Page
Timothy G Rials
Assoc Dean & Professor | AgResearch Administration
Hollie Renee Schreiber Profile Page
Hollie Renee Schreiber
Director | Sponsored Programs
Barry Sims Profile Page
Barry Sims
Executive Director | AgResearch Administration

AgResearch and Education Center Directors

Matt Backus Profile Page
Matt Backus
Research Center Director | Ames AgResearch and Education Center
Blake Brown Profile Page
Blake Brown
Research Center Director | AgResearch and Education Center at Milan
Robert L Ellis Profile Page
Robert L Ellis
Research Center Director | Highland Rim AgResearch and Education Center
John Walter Hitch Profile Page
John Walter Hitch
Research Center Director | Plateau AgResearch and Education Center
Kevin Patrick Hoyt Profile Page
Kevin Patrick Hoyt
Research Center Director | Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center
Justin L. McKinney Profile Page
Justin L. McKinney
Research Center Director | Northeast Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Ethan Trent Parker Profile Page
Ethan Trent Parker
Research Center Director | East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Scott D. Stewart Profile Page
Scott D. Stewart
Research Center Director | West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Kevin Wendal Thompson Profile Page
Kevin Wendal Thompson
Research Center Director | Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Spring Hill