Leadership

Leland “Sandy” Pierson, Ph.D., professor in the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, serves as Interim Associate Director and Chief Scientific Officer for Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

Pierson served as head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology from 2009 to 2022. He earned his bachelor’s in microbiology at the University of California, Davis, and a doctorate in microbiology at Washington State University. Pierson served as a research fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service — focused on Root Disease and Biological Control Research. He served 19 years as a faculty member at the University of Arizona, where he served as chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee as well as Division Chair in the Department of Plant Sciences.

In his research, Pierson is known as a pioneer in defining the roles and regulation of microbial secondary metabolites such as phenazines in rhizosphere microbial community communication and biocontrol. He served as chair of the national plant pathology department head committee and was elected a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society in 2015. He also served the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture committee to support research on huanglongbing disease, or citrus greening, which threatens citrus production at large.

Pierson actively promotes research throughout Texas and works closely with a broad spectrum of agricultural researchers and industries.

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To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pierson, contact Rachel Tydlacka, administrative assistant.

Phone: (979) 314-8187

Stephen Cisneros is AgriLife Research’s associate director for operations and development. Cisneros supports research activities in Bryan-College Station and at 13 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Centers across the state — largely focused on strengthening Texas commodities.

Cisneros leads strategic and financial planning for AgriLife Research, and he works to increase available funds for research along with supervising statewide research infrastructure and investments. Before joining AgriLife Research in 2022, Cisneros served as Texas A&M Foundation assistant vice president for development within the Texas A&M University Mays Business School. In that role, he led all business development and fundraising in support of the school’s vision and mission. His team’s work resulted in over $70 million in support of Texas A&M.

He earned a master’s degree with an emphasis in wealth management at the Texas A&M University School of Law. Cisneros also earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is a graduate of the Texas Bankers Association Trust School.

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To schedule an appointment with Stephen Cisneros, contact Rachel Tydlacka, administrative assistant.

Phone: (979) 314-8187