A Message From The Dean

Greetings, and welcome to the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research (IAgER). IAgER is the principal agricultural and environmental research division of Tennessee State University. It is one of the three major research divisions at Tennessee State University. It employs some 24 scientists holding terminal degrees in their fields, 8 master's degree level researchers, and 14 research and administrative support staff. Annually, it receives about $2.6 million appropriation from the United States Department of Agriculture for research programs and facilities, and about $750,000 in State and University funds specifically for woody ornamental crop research. In addition, researchers in IAgER are attracting more than $1 million annually through grantsmanship efforts.

IAgER researchers received their education from outstanding universities throughout the United States and from several countries around the globe. At IAgER, we are committed to improving the lives of all the citizens of Tennessee and other regions. We attach great importance to serving the population of our state and nation that has traditionally been underserved. Our scientists are involved in research activities related to animal production systems, biotechnological applications to food safety concerns, human nutrition, the production of plants with desired characteristics, sustainable agriculture, and the marketing of agricultural commodities that are economically important to our state and other regions.

In IAgER, while we endeavor to address problems that currently impact the food systems sector of our state and elsewhere, we are also constantly looking ahead to new frontiers in research that could impact the socioeconomic and environmental wellbeing of our state. For example, in 1996, we became the first institution in our state to establish a state-of-the-art nursery crop research center in anticipation of the research needs of the $400 million a year nursery industry of Tennessee. In 2001, we established a strong goat research program to support the growing goat sector (by some estimates the second largest goat producing state in the nation) in Tennessee. By 2002, we had become a leader in the state in fire ant research as it pertains to nursery crop production. That effort has lead to a new partnership between Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee - Knoxville in establishing the Tennessee Fire Ant Research and Education Team. Currently, we are building partnerships to acquire the necessary resources to construct a new state-of-the-art agricultural biotechnology and biosecurity center.

If you are someone in Tennessee who utilizes discoveries from agricultural and environmental research or someone who funds agricultural and environmental research through your taxes or other channels, we consider you a stake holder in what we do in IAgER. Please be assured that any suggestions that you send us regarding strengthening and sustaining the relevance of our programs will be highly appreciated. If you are visiting us for the first time, please consider coming again as we update our website frequently. As you visit with our scientists either in cyberspace or on-site in Nashville and McMinnville, you will learn more about our work and contributions to scientific knowledge.

We are honored by your visit and interest in Tennessee State University where we have been challenged by our president to be committed to excellence. Thank you for visiting with us.

Sincerely,

Stephen H. Kolison, Jr., Ph.D.

Dean of the Institute and Research Director