Researchers honored at weed science annual meeting
Darrin Dodds
Mississippi State University agricultural scientists and students were recognized for teaching and research at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and the Southern Weed Science Society (SWSS).
Darrin Dodds, interim associate director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and professor and head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, was awarded the WSSA Outstanding Teacher Award.
Dodds shared the award’s importance to him.
“This award reflects my efforts in teaching Herbicide Technology in our department. This is a very hands-on course that students really enjoy. It is one of the highest rated courses in the department and has been for many years. I took over for Dr. Dan Reynolds, who set a standard of excellence for the course that I’ve tried to uphold. I have also been fortunate to serve as major professor to nearly 30 graduate students and on committees of almost 50 additional graduate students. I thoroughly enjoy helping our undergraduate and graduate students achieve their goals and ultimately enter the workforce and be successful,” said Dodds.
Two graduate students in the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Plant and Soil Science were recognized for their presentations.
Mary Jane Lytle, a doctoral student in entomology from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, placed second in the SWSS Ph.D. Oral Presentation competition for her research on rice performance following exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of the herbicide paraquat at multiple growth stages. Ncomiwe Maphalala, a plant and soil sciences master’s student from Swaziland, placed second in the SWSS Master’s Oral Presentation competition, for her research on inoculated soybean seed’s response to corn residual herbicides.
For more on MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, visit www.cals.msstate.eduw. For more on the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Science visit www.pss.msstate.edu.
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Chloe Madison | Agriculture and Natural Resources Marketing
