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 educate future scientists, farmers, society, and policy-makers. 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.
Wayne Keeling is the Project Leader for Systems, Agronomy, and Weed Science with Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Lubbock. Along with cropping system and weed research trials,
Dr. Keeling has conducted a wide range of cotton harvest and trials for almost 30 years. He obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees from Texas Tech University and served on the Beltwide Cotton Harvest Aid Working Group.
Suhas Vyavhare focuses on planning, developing, and executing Extension education programs and applied research that primarily addresses insect pest issues of cotton in the Texas High Plains—an area encompassing more than 4 million acres of cotton. As an Extension specialist, he provides general technical expertise on cotton integrated pest management (IPM) in Texas. The current cotton insect management goals in Texas are to optimize yields and profits while conserving natural enemies with the judicious use of insecticides and other management tactics.
Murilo Maeda is an assistant professor and extension cotton specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. In this capacity, he provides leadership in cotton production for the Texas High Plains and in developing educational programs and materials related to the profitable and sustainable production of cotton in a challenging, semi-arid environment. His program involves interactions with farmers, county and IPM agents, extension specialists, research faculty, and allied industry to develop and deliver new technologies and educational programs designed to help cotton producers make timely and informed crop management decisions.
Brant Baugh began July 1 as the agriculture and natural resources agent in Lubbock County. Baugh was an integrated pest management agent for 21 years with AgriLife Extension in Lubbock, Parmer and Bailey counties before spending the past nine years with various private companies as an agronomist, seed specialist and in sales. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in entomology from Texas Tech University.
