Mullahey Ends 13 Year Tenure as Crop and Soil Sciences’ Department Head

Dear Friends of Crop and Soil Sciences,

As I prepare to step down as Department Head at the end of September, I want to take a moment to celebrate and reflect with you on the past 13 years.

In a state where agriculture remains our number one economic driver, leading the department responsible for teaching, research, and Extension in critical crop, soil, and environmental disciplines has been both humbling and inspiring. 

Serving in this role has been the greatest honor of my career, thanks to the outstanding people and achievements that make NC State a global thought leader. 

Growing Together

When I arrived in 2012 as head of Crop Science, the department was strong but faced challenges familiar to any land-grant program — evolving student needs, rapid advances in science, and growing demands from agriculture and the environment.

In 2016, we took a bold step by merging Crop Science and Soil Science into one unified department. That decision honored our shared agronomy roots and positioned us to tackle agriculture and natural resource challenges in a more integrated way. 

It was not always easy, but your willingness to work together built a department that is stronger than the sum of its parts.

Investing in People

Together, we have grown in ways that few could have imagined:

• Enrollment growth: Undergraduate and graduate enrollment reached record levels — up 44 percent in five years by 2021, with turfgrass majors increasing nearly 80 percent since 2018. This means more students are gaining the knowledge and skills to lead in agriculture, environmental stewardship, and beyond.
  
• Student experience: We’ve added scholarships and graduate fellowships to make our programs more accessible, and expanded student clubs, competitions and hands-on learning opportunities that set our students apart in a competitive job market.
  
• Faculty growth: Dozens of new hires, including emerging AI and ag technology fields, brought fresh expertise and capacity to serve our stakeholders and retool for the future.
  

Research Driving Impact

Our research has kept pace with the needs of our state and world:

• Facilities: The opening of the Plant Sciences Building in 2022 provided many of our faculty a home in one of the most advanced facilities in the nation, accelerating discovery and application that directly benefits growers.
  
• Crop improvement: Plant breeders have released new cultivars and germplasm, advancing genomic research to improve crop varieties that increase productivity and profitability for farmers.
  
• Decision tools: Teams developed practical digital tools — BeanPACK for soybean planting, cotton decision tools, the Cover Crop Selector, Nitrogen Predictor, and more that help growers make data-driven, profitable decisions.
  
• Climate & soil leadership: Our work in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, and precision technologies is shaping national understanding and equipping North Carolina agriculture to adapt to a changing climate.
  

Extension: Meeting Needs Statewide

Extension has remained the backbone of our land-grant mission:

• Statewide service: From hurricane recovery efforts to trusted resources like TurfFiles and soil fertility guidance, we provide timely, practical support to growers across all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
  
• Everyday impact: The thousands of hours of Extension training and continuing education we deliver equips stakeholders with expertise they can apply immediately on their farms, fields, and landscapes.
  

Stewardship and Partnerships

While addressing today’s challenges, we have also invested in the future:

• Philanthropy: We secured more than $30 million in private support for endowed chairs, distinguished professorships, student scholarships, graduate fellowships, equipment, and initiatives like the Climate Adaptation through Agriculture and Soil Management project — investments that expand opportunities for students and strengthen solutions for NC’s growers and citizens.
  
• Advisory leadership: We established an External Advisory Board to give our clientele a direct voice in guiding our direction and priorities.
  
• Centennial milestone: In 2024, we celebrated our centennial anniversary — honoring the legacy of Crop & Soil Sciences while launching into the next century of service.
  

Always Looking Ahead

What I am proudest of is not any single project or milestone, but the culture you have created: one that is collaborative, innovative, student-focused, and deeply connected to the land-grant mission.

As I hand the baton to Dr. Ian Burke on October 1, I do so with full confidence in the department’s bright future. The foundation we have built together will carry Crop & Soil Sciences into its next century of discovery, teaching, and service. In my new role, I will continue working to support the mission of the department and the college. 

Thank you for an amazing journey. I will always be your strongest supporter and biggest champion.

Happy trails,

Dr. Jeff Mullahey