Nalley, Roberts named interim department heads for ag economics, crop soil and environmental sciences

Lanier Nalley and Trent Roberts have been named interim department heads for agricultural economics and agribusiness and crop, soil and environmental sciences for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Nalley steps in as John Anderson moves from department head to director of the Cooperative Extension Service. Roberts moves into the post that Jeff Edwards is vacating to become dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Both departments serve all three land-grant missions, with faculty and staff focused on teaching the next generation of students through Bumpers College and achieving research discoveries and conducting outreach through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College.

Nalley, a full professor, has a doctorate in agricultural economics from Kansas State. He began with the University of Arkansas as an assistant professor in 2008 and moved to associate professor in 2013 before being named professor in 2018.

Roberts, professor of soil fertility and soil testing, holds an endowed chair in soil fertility research. He has a doctorate in soil science from the University of Arkansas. Roberts started at the University of Arkansas as a research assistant professor in 2010, moving to assistant professor and extension specialist in 2012. He became an associate professor in 2017 and full professor in 2022.

The interim appointments were made by Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and interim dean of the Bumpers College, and Bob Scott, director of the Cooperative Extension Service, in concurrence with Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture and University of Arkansas Provost Terry Martin.

“I am very thankful to both Trent and Lanier for helping their respective departments during the transition,” Meullenet said. “I know both of them have the skills to excel in the department roles. I look forward to working with them and to welcome them to the broader administrative team.”