Bob Scott named director of Rice Research and Extension Center
By Fred Miller fmiller@uark.edu
U of A System Division of Agriculture
March 16, 2018
Fast Facts:
- Dr. Bob Scott takes reins of Rice Research and Extension Center April 1
- 20-year career as weed scientist, 16 years with Arkansas extension
- 50 percent of research and extension work has been in rice
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STUTTGART, Ark. — Dr. Bob Scott, extension weed scientist since 2002, will become director of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart on April 1.
Scott has worked in weed science for 20 years, including the last 16 with the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
“I am delighted to have Dr. Scott take on this leadership role for the Division of Agriculture,” said Jean-François Meullenet, interim director of the division’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. “The Rice Research and Extension Center is a vital component of our research programs and I know Bob will serve as an outstanding ambassador for our rice programs housed in Stuttgart.”
Rick Cartwright, director of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, said, “Bob has done an outstanding job as Arkansas’ extension weed specialist for more than 15 years. He’s an exceptional technical specialist and research scientist, and his first-rate leadership at the Lonoke and Newport extension centers has prepared him to take on this new leadership role at Stuttgart.”
“Arkansas is the leading rice-producing state in the U.S. and the Rice Research and Extension Center is the leading center for rice research,” Cartwright said. “I think Bob is the right person at the right time to lead it.”
Before joining the Division of Agriculture, Scott worked as a technical service representative at American Cyanamide and BASF, which acquired the company during his time there. He was part of the team that developed Clearfield Rice.
Since joining the division, Scott has been based at the Lonoke Extension Center and also spends time at the Newport center. He said about 50 percent of his work has been related to rice.
“I have enjoyed my time at Lonoke and Newport and working with everyone at the Little Rock State Office, and I look forward to new challenges and opportunities at the Rice Research and Extension Center,” he said.
Scott already has a hand in the division’s rice breeding program, where he has worked with senior rice breeder Karen Moldenhauer and is a co-author on her Clearfield 172 research.
“I’m excited about working with the rice breeders at the Stuttgart center,” Scott said. He said he also looks forward to working with the Division of Agriculture Foundation Seed Program, based at Stuttgart, and other RREC research and extension programs.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Fred Miller
Communication Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
fmiller@uark.edu