FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Wayne Mackay has begun duties as head of the Department of Horticulture at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the UA Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Mackay joined the department in October from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, where he was chair of the Environmental Horticulture Department and previously director of the Mid-Florida Research and Extension Center.

“I am excited to join the Department of Horticulture and look forward to contributing my skills to the University and the state of Arkansas,” Mackay said.

"We are extremely fortunate to secure someone of Wayne's caliber and level of experience to lead our horticulture program," said Clarence Watson, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.    

“Wayne brings with him a tremendous amount of knowledge acquired from his previous horticultural experience in the private sector and the University of Florida,” said Mike Vayda, dean of Bumpers College. “I am pleased to have him lead our horticulture team into a new era. I am grateful to David Hensley for his 13 years of meritorious service and Jean Francois Meullenet's work as interim department head during the search process. I look forward to working with Wayne as he joins our team of department heads in serving our students, faculty, alumni and stakeholders and realizing the aspiration of becoming a top 50 public research university.”

Prior to joining the Florida faculty, Mackay served on the Texas A&M University faculty at its Texas Agricultural Experiment Station facilities in Dallas and El Paso. He holds a doctoral degree in horticulture from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in plant science fro the University of Delaware and a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech University.

Mackay is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and a recipient of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Superior Service Award in the team category. He has served on the editorial boards and as a reviewer for several horticulture journals. He is currently president of the Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences and has held several leadership positions in the Plant Growth Regulation Society of America.

The Horticulture Department conducts research and extension activities with fruits, vegetables, sustainability issues and turfgrass in addition to ornamental, landscape and nursery topics. It operates five research laboratories on the Fayetteville campus, greenhouse and laboratory space in the Rosen Alternative Pest Control Building, and turf plots, greens, orchards, vineyards and greenhouse space at the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville. The department also conducts research at the Division of Agriculture’s Fruit Research Station in Clarksville, Vegetable Research Station in Alma, Southwest Research and Extension in Hope and Southeast Research and Extension Center in Monticello. The department offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture and a Ph.D. degree in plant science administered jointly with the Plant Pathology Department.