Crop & Soil Sciences: Personnel: Faculty

Donn Shilling

	Academic Rank:	Department Head
	Academic History:	Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1983
	Campus:	Athens
	Office Location:	Plant Sciences Building, Room 3111
	Email:	dgs@uga.edu
	Phone:	706/542-0900
	Fax:	706/542-0914
	Shipping Address:	3111 Miller Plant Sciences Building The University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-7272

Research, Teaching, and Extension Work

I received my BS and MS degrees from Virginia Tech and my Ph.D. in Crop Science from North Carolina State University in 1983. I initially worked as a Senior Research Biologist for Monsanto responsible for the development of methods used to evaluate natural products as herbicides. In 1985 I was promoted to managing herbicide evaluation and development. I accepted the position of assistant professor at the University of Florida
in 1987 with research and teaching responsibility. I was promoted to full Professor in 1994. My research involved studying fundamental and applied aspects of chemical and physiological factors affecting herbicides and weedy plant species. I also focused on the management of invasive and perennial plants and land restoration. I had an active undergraduate and graduate teaching program. I was the Graduate and Curriculum
Coordinator and Chairman of the UF Task Force on Invasive Plants. I received the Graduate Teacher and Advisor of the Year Award in 1994 The Outstanding Weed Scientist for 1997. I was the University of Florida's representative in the ESCOP/ACOP leadership development program from 1994-1995. As a consultant, I have worked with several organizations on various issues related to Weed Science, pesticides, the environment.

I was the Director for the University of Florida’s West Florida and Mid-Florida Research and Education Centers. The administrative head of Research and Education Centers (REC) in the University of Florida system provides leadership for the research, teaching and extension programs relevant to the state. The Director manages all personnel, financial resources, and facilities. The Director serves as a University liaison with the local community; state and federal agencies and organizations; University administration; county extension faculty and administration; and industry and government officials. In addition, the Director coordinates or participates in: fund-raising, scholarship development, recruitment, marketing and promotion. These Centers support undergraduate and graduate teaching programs and research and extension programs in Plant Pathology; Entomology and Nematology; Ag. Economics; Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology; Plant Ecology; Forage, Turf and Weed Sciences; Environmental and Horticultural Sciences and Forestry. In 2000, I chaired the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Satellite Program Committee. This committee provided the Dean with analysis and recommendations to enhance the state-wide teaching programs. I co-chaired the UF Research and Education Center Task Force. This group coordinated a national review and ultimately provided recommendations to the Vice President on how to reorganize the entire Research and Education Center system. In January 2004, I became the Department Head of Crop and Soil Science at the University of Georgia. In this capacity, I am responsible for managing and providing leadership for state-wide research, teaching and
extension programs. In addition, I served as the liaison for external stakeholder groups and university faculty, students and administrators interested in departmental programs. The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences is a multi-functional, inter-disciplinary, multi-locational department committed to supporting outstanding research, teaching, and extension programs at the Athens, Griffin and Tifton campuses. Faculty work to discover new knowledge and evaluate innovative concepts and technologies to enhance science and to help ensure a sustainable and profitable agricultural and functional natural and managed ecosystems. Extension faculty develop educational programs that are practical and available to our agricultural agents, farmers, industry, government and other clientele. The department is responsible for several undergraduate majors and graduate
programs.

I have remained active in research, teaching, outreach, professional societies, public policy and regulation as an administrator. I have participated and/or managed several special projects to deal with such issues as multilocational education, bio-energy and alternative crops, invasive species, re-organization of the College of Agriculture and the State-Wide Research and Education System and I presently chair the Weed Science Society of America’s Science Policy Committee. In this role, I am responsible for working with the Director of Science Policy (DSP), located in Washington DC, to coordinate the regulatory and policy agenda appropriate for our society.

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