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Dr. Patrick J. Stover is the director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a state agency noted for excellence in research and development for agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences. For five consecutive years, the National Science Foundation has ranked AgriLife Research No. 1 in agriculture expenditures for research. Stover joined the Texas A&M University System in 2018 and also serves as Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M AgriLife. Previously, he served as director of the Cornell University Division of Nutritional Sciences, one of the leading nutrition programs in the world. The division grew markedly during his tenure both in its research funding and its portfolio of academic programs. Stover led efforts to aggressively recruit and diversify the faculty, secure extramural research support, and expand the division’s audiences through on-campus and distance education. He also created key partnerships with external groups such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as with the private sector. Stover led a research group that investigates the mechanisms underlying the relationships between nutrition, metabolism, and risk for birth defects, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. A first-generation college student, Dr. Stover graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, went on to earn a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the Medical College of Virginia, and then completed his postdoctoral studies in nutritional sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Executive Assistant: Kelsey Agnew

Dr. David K. Lunt has been a member of the executive leadership team for Texas A&M AgriLife Research since 2008. Lunt began his career with AgriLife Research in 1985, when he was hired to manage the 6,372-acre McGregor Research Center. During the 23 years that Lunt served as professor and superintendent at McGregor, he also served as operations manager and, later, as associate head of operations for the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. As associate director, Lunt facilitates the business operations and the international research portfolio for AgriLife Research. Last year the agency conducted research and other scholarly activities in 66 countries. Lunt’s duties also include overseeing the agency’s strategic planning, state and federal reporting, and internal grant programs for cropping systems, beef improvement, bioenergy, cotton, fire ants, and other areas. Lunt is a magna cum laude graduate of Brigham Young University, having earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science. He also holds a Ph.D. in meat science and muscle biology from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining AgriLife Research, Lunt lived in Arizona and New Mexico, where he was a partner in three farms and six ranches. During the past 30 years, he has been actively engaged in management and agricultural consulting for multinational companies, governments, and foundations in many parts of the world. Executive Assistant: Nancye Penn

Dr. David W. Ragsdale earned his bachelor's in biology in 1974, master's in entomology 1977, and his Ph.D. in entomology in 1980. He joined the Entomology Department at the University of Minnesota in July 1981 and rose to the rank of professor and served for two years as the interim department head (2009-2010).  In October 2010, Dr. Ragsdale relocated to Texas A&M University as professor and department head of Entomology.  His research focus is on vector ecology with an emphasis on aphid-transmitted plant viruses.  His most recent work centered on the management of the invasive soybean aphid, Aphis glycines and exotic insect that has cost US soybean producers more than $1B in losses and added management costs.  His lab worked on developing an economic threshold for soybean aphid, classical biological control which involved searching for natural enemies in northern China, Inner Mongolia, Korean and Japan.  He and his team collaborated with scientists across the United States and Canada to evaluate several breeding lines for aphid-resistance.  Aphid-resistant soybean varieties are now commercially available.  Dr. Ragsdale has led efforts to establish exotic insect herbivores to control invasive perennial weeds.  There has been widespread adoption of the management recommendations for soybean aphid and it was recently estimated that producers have prevented losses of more than $1.3B by using the team’s recommendations.  Dr. Ragsdale has published a total of 244 scientific communications including 104 peer-reviewed journal articles and editor reviewed contributions.  His work has been cited over 4,500 times.  Dr. Ragsdale served 6 years on the Governing Board of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) ending in 2018. Executive Assistant: Jackie Slovacek

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Email: David.Ragsdale@ag.tamu.edu