Texas A&M AgriLife

Jaehak Jeong, Ph.D., is a professor of biological and agricultural engineering and water management and hydrological science in the Texas A&M University Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering. Jeong is internationally known for his leadership in the Agricultural Policy/Environmental Extender model. He has conducted research in eco-hydrologic modeling, land management and climate change impacts on water resources and crop production, greenhouse gas emission controls on croplands, watershed hydrology and water quality, urban stormwater management practices, soil erosion and sediment transport, parameter sensitivity analysis, and model optimization and integration. Jeong is a leader in computational hydrology and cropping systems modeling research. He has authored or co-authored 107 peer-reviewed publications, which have been cited more than 3,200 times. Jeong’s research and service have contributed to improving water resource conservation through computational modeling, assessments and watershed protection. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

Katie Lewis, Ph.D., joined the Texas A&M AgriLife Research at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Lubbock and Texas Tech University faculty in 2014. As an associate professor of soil chemistry and fertility in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Lewis is provided the opportunity through research, service and teaching to enhance the agricultural sustainability of the Texas High Plains, which is vitally essential to both Texas and the nation. Lewis is determined to optimize management strategies for cotton producers across the Texas High Plains and the Cotton Belt of the U.S. to ensure the longevity of farming operations while conserving soil and water resources. Her program has received $5.5 million in federal, state and local funds. She has been the chair of the Great Plains Soil Fertility Planning Board since 2020. Lewis has received numerous awards for her research on cotton and for her work as a soil scientist. Lewis earned her master’s degree and her doctorate in soil science from Texas A&M in 2010 and 2014, respectively, after completing her bachelor’s in chemistry from Sam Houston State University in 2008. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

Gabriel Gomez, DVM, Ph.D., serves as the assistant agency director for pathology at TVMDL. Gomez has worked in veterinary pathology for 19 years. He joined TVMDL after completing his graduate work in 2013 and currently oversees the pathology departments at the laboratories’ Canyon and College Station locations. Prior to this position, he held the position of assistant section head for necropsy and section head for pathology at the College Station laboratory. Gomez has a special interest in immunology, infectious diseases, neoplasia and prion — chronic wasting — diseases. He obtained bachelor’s degrees in both animal science and biological sciences and his veterinary sciences degree from Oklahoma State University. Gomez earned his doctorate in veterinary pathology from Texas A&M, where he also completed a residency in anatomic veterinary pathology. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

Kari Curtis assumed her current position of assistant dean for finance in the College in April of 2023. Prior to joining the College, she served within Texas A&M AgriLife as controller for AgriLife Research. Curtis has held positions with four of the Texas A&M system members over the course of the last 21 years. Curtis was born in Nebraska and moved to Texas in 1998. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 1992. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

On the campus of Texas A&M University, the Leach Teaching Gardens is a favored space among students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community. If you've visited The Gardens, you may have noticed a pathway of engraved bricks, each representing more than what may meet the eye. From marking an academic milestone to honoring a loved one, these bricks create a lasting legacy and gift that supports The Gardens. Learn more at tx.ag/LegacyBricks

Desmond Ng is an associate professor of agribusiness and strategy management in the Texas A&M University - Department Agricultural Economics. His teaching philosophy is based on creating a student-centric class experience in which students develop practical management skills that increase prospects for career and personal success. This applied learning focus has a learning objective of developing a student’s soft skills in communication, problem solving and critical thinking. Ng is currently serving on the editorial boards of Human System Management and the International Journal of Complexity, Leadership and Management journals. He has also served as a guest editor on a special issue of the Pluralism of Agribusiness for the International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. He is the chair of the Western Education and Research Activities Committee on Agribusiness and organized and chaired the 2009 Agribusiness Research Forum. Ng is also the chair for the Agribusiness Economics Management section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

For over 29 years, Julie Gardner, Ph.D., has served the people of Texas. She has served in her current position of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist for healthy lifestyles since 2018. Since 2016, Gardner has been the co-coordinator for Path to the Plate. In her position, she provides oversight for youth health and wellness programs throughout the state. She has been instrumental in developing partnerships and programs related to healthy eating, physical activity, school-based interventions and community-based participatory research. Gardner has also served in multiple statewide AgriLife Extension and Texas 4-H leadership roles and initiatives. Gardner’s work resulted in an 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver Regional Project known as the Central Texas Community Health Initiative, a multi-million-dollar project responsible for delivering health education in schools and communities within seven counties in Central Texas. Gardener earned her bachelor’s in home economics in 1994 and a master’s in educational administration in 2000 from Tarleton State University. In 2019, she earned her doctorate in the philosophy of health studies with an emphasis in population health from Texas Woman’s University. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

David Wright is the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service urban program director and agency director for Harris County. He provides oversight to all aspects of the urban unit including programming, personnel and budget management, and external evaluation. In his professional trajectory, he has been awarded and managed over $7.1 million through local, state and national foundations and government entities since 2008, serving as principal investigator and co-principal investigator on most of the projects. Wright has a deep understanding about and passion for the educational and experiential needs of students and has strong on-going relationships with local and regional U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, agencies, federal and state government, and private and nonprofit sector organizations. Wright has over 25 years of experience including as an AgriLife Extension county agent and 4-H Urban Outreach program director. Wright earned a bachelor’s in agribusiness from Sam Houston State University and a master’s in agricultural education from Texas State University. Wright has dedicated his life to urban development and has numerous certifications focusing on leadership and youth development. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

Betty Cotton has worked in the Texas A&M University Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics for 23 years. During her career, she has assisted four department heads: Jim Wild, Ph.D., Greg Reinhart, Ph.D., Dorothy Shippen, Ph.D., and currently Josh Wand, Ph.D. She has been involved in hiring a department head, 28 tenure-track faculty, eight academic and professional track faculty, processed over 40 promotion dossiers, and has hired, trained and supervised numerous administrative staff and organized dozens of events. Cotton’s dedication has been recognized at multiple levels within Texas A&M. She is the recipient of the 2019 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Award of Excellence, the 2016 Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence and the 2015 Texas A&M University President’s Meritorious Service Award. Cotton has been honored twice within her department with the Department Award of Excellence in 2002 and 2018. Cotton is a 1994 general business graduate from Sam Houston State University. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324

David Jones assumed the position of business administrator at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Vernon in 2016. He provides leadership for operations ensuring that all the systems, resources and people are in place to achieve the goals of the Texas A&M AgriLife center at Vernon. His Texas A&M AgriLife Research career started in 1993 as a research technician working with the range ecology and brush control projects, using prescribed fires to sculpt brush and improve range ecology. In 2003, he was promoted to research associate and transferred to the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Chillicothe, where he served as the farm manager and was responsible for overseeing critical infrastructure projects including the addition of center pivot and subsurface drip irrigation systems. Jones has worked with Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed to grow wheat and millet seed increases and continues work with alternative crops such as canola and sesame, as well as cotton variety trials. He has also worked with various chemical companies for weed control of summer crops. In 2011, he accepted a superintendent position with a national grain elevator. He was recognized for industry safety and was invited as a speaker to Oklahoma Fumigation and Grain Handling Workshops hosted by Oklahoma State University. He is a 1992 graduate of Cameron University, with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy. -- The LEAD AgriLife program was created to develop the collective strength of faculty and staff across the organizations under Texas A&M AgriLife. The bridges created will lead to more research, programs and projects that are multi-department. Learn more at tx.ag/LEAD2324