Katie L. Lewis is an agricultural and environmental soil scientist and continually striving to enhance her understanding of the critical challenges currently facing agriculture and society. As the daughter of a South Texas farmer (Taft, San Patricio County), she was introduced at a young age to these challenges of sustainable agriculture and how they affect society. Dr. Lewis considers soil to be one of our most valuable natural resources, with the ability to produce food, feed, and fiber; recycle wastes; filter and break down contaminants; and sequester carbon. As an assistant professor of soil chemistry and fertility at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas Tech University, Dr. Lewis is provided the opportunity through research and service to enhance the agricultural sustainability of the Texas High Plains region that is vitally important to both Texas and the nation, while helping to educate future scientists, farmers, society, and policymakers. Dr. Lewis received her BS in chemistry from Sam Houston State University in 2008. She received her MS and PhD in 2010 and 2014, respectively, from Texas A&M University. With a joint appointment at Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Lubbock (75% research) and Texas Tech University (25% teaching), Dr. Lewis is deeply engaged in research, teaching, and service.
Jason Troendle serves as the economist for The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and helps to provide data, information, and reports on the entire fertilizer industry. Prior to joining TFI, Jason worked in agricultural consulting and as a part of another trade association. He has strong agricultural roots, growing up in rural Minnesota, and he has an undergraduate degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in applied economics with a focus in food and agriculture from Cornell University.
Barry Evans is a producer in Swisher County, Texas, and his operation is split between grain sorghum and cotton, with about one-third of the cotton irrigated. He also is a stockholder in Windstar Gins. In 2016, Evans participated in the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) Multi-Commodity Education Program, and since then, he has served as the NCC’s treasurer and as chairman of its finance committee. He has served on multiple NCC committees, including the conservation task force, and currently is a member of the cotton flow committee. Evans also is a former president and chairman of the Cotton Foundation. He is a past state chairman and vice chairman of the NCC’s American Cotton Producers (ACP), has served on numerous ACP committees, and currently serves on its crop insurance working group. Evans has served as president and chairman of Plains Cotton Growers and chairs the Northern High Plains Boll Weevil Eradication Program Advisory Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University.
Joe Outlaw is a Regents Fellow, professor, and Extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. He also serves as the co-director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University. In this role, Dr. Outlaw frequently interacts with members of Congress and key agricultural committee staff, as well as stakeholders, to provide feedback on the likely consequences of agricultural policy changes.
