Norsworthy Named WSSA Fellow and Outstanding Researcher; Meyer Named Top Graduate Student

Photo by Russell Cothren

Bumpers College professor Jason Norsworthy was one of five individuals with connections to the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences recognized at the Weed Science Society of America's annual meeting.

WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Jason Norsworthy, weed scientist for the U of A System Division of Agriculture, was honored by his peers as a fellow of the Weed Science Society of America.

Norsworthy, a professor in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, was also honored as outstanding researcher of 2018 and was co-author on the work recognized as for outstanding paper-weed technology during the society's annual meeting last week at Arlington, Virginia.

Chris Meyer, a doctoral candidate in weed science at the U of A, was named outstanding graduate student. While pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy, Meyer has been recognized for his academic and extracurricular achievements with awards including the 2015 Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board Ph.D. Fellowship and the 2015 Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences Distinguished M.S. Student Award.

"We're extremely proud of the achievements of our faculty and students," said Robert Bacon, head of the Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences department within the Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College. "Our weed science group is one of the best in the nation and this week's recognition from the Weed Science Society of America — the highest in this field — certainly underscores that excellence.

"It's especially rewarding considering the past year, when weed science was on the front page as dicamba made headlines not only around the country and around the world," said Bacon. "Jason was one of the weed scientists in the glare as he and others had their research scrutinized over and over as the issue drew the attention of media and industry."

There were other Arkansas connections honored this year.

Nicholas Korres, co-honored as an outstanding reviewer, is a post-doctoral research associate at the U of A System Division of Agriculture working under the direction of Norsworthy. Korres' work revolves around weed demographics and population dynamics within crops and cropping systems or between diverse environments, weed ecophysiological aspects and weed-crop interactions.

Prashant Jah of Montana State University-Bozeman, the outstanding early career weed scientist, earned his doctorate at the U of A.

Also this week, Bob Scott, extension weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture was named president of the Southern Weed Science Society.

To see more, download a PDF about the WSSA awards.

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. 

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.