Professor, Director Marty Matlock Named Winner of 2018 Borlaug CAST Communication Award

Courtesy Marty Matlock

Marty Matlock will receive the 2018 Borlaug CAST Communication Award from the U.S. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Marty Matlock will receive the 2018 Borlaug CAST Communication Award from the U.S. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. The award was announced during a ceremony Tuesday at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Matlock is the director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center, newly established in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the College of Engineering at the U of A. The Resiliency Center expands understanding of the resilient elements of community, water and food systems that support economic and social prosperity for Arkansas and the world.

The selection committee of Council for Agricultural Science and Technology recognized Matlock for his abilities to synthesize complex issues into simple concepts that resonate with his target audience.

"His commitment embodies many of the attributes and characteristics of Dr. Borlaug, most notably providing leadership to advance science and engineering in a way that not only benefits agriculture and food production, but also contributes to the betterment of society," noted the selection committee.

Throughout the past six years, he has participated in more than 116 keynote presentations, discussion sessions and video interviews. Since 2011, he has published 19 peer-reviewed manuscripts, co-authored two books and six international policy reports, and been awarded three U.S. patents. His interdisciplinary work has been recognized through more than 30 national and international awards. These design awards have been for projects with the U of A Community Design Center, also in the Fay Jones School.

Matlock will receive this award during the World Food Prize Symposium, planned for October in Des Moines, Iowa. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacies of Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Prize winner for his leadership in the Green Revolution, and Charles A. Black, the first president of Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.