Faculty Expertise
Imagine a plant so valuable it helped shape the course of human civilization — a plant that has stitched together empires, economies and entire ways of life.
That plant is cotton.
Cotton remains one of the most widely used textile fibers in the world. In Georgia alone, cotton covers 1.1 million acres and continues to be the state’s top-grossing row crop, with a 2022 farm gate value of $1.31 billion. But its influence stretches far beyond clothing.
“What makes cotton especially interesting, even among major crops, is its dual purpose,” saidCamp Hand, a cotton agronomist forUniversity of Georgia Cooperative Extensionand a faculty member in theCollege of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “It’s both fiber and food.”
The term sustainability usually elicits ideas of a green planet, solar panels, electric vehicles, and plastic-free oceans.
However, this outlook—sustainability primarily focused on the environment—lacks a critical component that University of Georgia researchers are elevating in the realm of food systems and agriculture.
“All pillars of sustainability matter, but social sustainability can get left out of the conversation,” said Jennifer Jo Thompson, senior research scientist in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.
Drs. Taylor Singleton, Lisa Baxter, and Nick Shay represented the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the 2025 ShowCAES recruiting event held at the UGA Tifton campus.
ShowCAES is an annual event sponsored by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). Potential students have the opportunity to learn about CAES academic programs, UGA admissions, and meet faculty, staff and current students.
Student Life
On November 13, 2025, Anshul, a master’s student in Crop and Soil Sciences at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UGA Tifton campus, won the 2025 UGA Three Minute Thesis Competition Grand Prize for her presentation, “Peanuts: The Uncrushed Oil Potential.”
3MT® is a highly engaging international research competition which requires participants to explain their thesis or dissertation topic and its significance in three minutes or less using only a single, static presentation slide.
Anshul is co-advised by Drs. Cris Pilon and Scott Tubbs.
Tristan Lowery, an Athens local who grew up around UGA sports, never imagined that he would be a part of something so iconic. As a Clarke Central High School student, he dual-enrolled at the university and, without much thought, selected Turfgrass Management as a major. That decision, combined with strong faculty mentorship and a lifelong love of sports, set him on a path that merged science, hands-on work, and the thrill of competition.
Avery Hamilton, environmental resource sciences major and International Agriculture Certificate student, and Emmanuellah Bredu, Ph.D. student (advised by Dr. Snider) were among those awarded the CAES World Food Prize Travel Award to attend the 2025 Norman. E Borlaug International Dialogue: SOILutions for Security from Oct. 21-23 in Des Moines, Iowa.
This annual event is described as the "premier conference in the world on global agriculture" and features the expertise and diverse perspectives of governmental leaders, policymakers, farmers, CEOs and executives from agribusiness; leaders of non-governmental organizations; and scientific, academic and development experts from around the world.
Congratulations Avery and Emmanuellah!
Anish Bhattarai has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 CAES Alumni Association Outstanding Master’s Student Scholarship.
Bhattarai, a graduate student from the Institute of Precision Agriculture under the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, is currently working with Dr. Bastos on research related to variable rates of nitrogen application in cotton.
Congratulations, Anish!
Our new Undergraduate Spotlight Series highlights the inspiring journeys of current and former students, showcasing their remarkable academic accomplishments and active engagement on campus.
Each profile offers a glimpse into their unique stories of growth, leadership, and outstanding achievements.
The graduate program in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences trains students at the master's and doctoral levels and prepares them for careers in extension, academia and industry. Master's students typically work in Cooperative Extension, as well as in agricultural, environmental and regulatory industries. Doctoral students commonly fill research and development positions in academia and industry.
Get to know some of our outstanding grad students!
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