Dr. Timothy Burcham Appointed Dean of College of Agriculture and Technology
JONESBORO – At the annual honors banquet for the College of Agriculture and Technology Thursday evening, Dr. Lynita Cooksey, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, announced that Arkansas State University has appointed Dr. Timothy N. Burcham to become dean of the college, effective July 1.
“We believe Dr. Burcham will provide visionary leadership for the College of Agriculture and Technology, and we are impressed with his great capacity for forging strong relationships with all of the college’s stakeholders,” Dr. Cooksey said in announcing the appointment.
“I look forward to having Dr. Burcham as part of the academic leadership team at Arkansas State,” she continued. “He will be joining an excellent faculty, which has had excellent leadership this year from Interim Dean Donald (Bud) Kennedy. We appreciate Dr. Kennedy’s service.”
Dr. Burcham currently is professor and interim chair of the Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources at the University of Tennessee-Martin. He also serves as director of the Center of Excellence in Experiential Learning in the Agricultural Sciences, which includes a 640-acre teaching farm, and administrator of the Tennessee Governor’s School for Agricultural Sciences. He previously held the Gilbert Parker Chair of Excellence.
In a note to faculty Thursday, Dr. Burcham said, "I am humbled to be entrusted with leadership for the College of Agriculture and Technology at Arkansas State University. When one looks at the dynamics of a growing world population (projected world population of 10 billion by 2050), it is clear that advancements in agriculture and technology are essential for humanity to thrive.
“The College of Agriculture and Technology is uniquely positioned to provide the educational, research, and outreach programs to meet these challenges,” he continued. “The synergies (undergraduate and graduate education, Arkansas Biosciences Institute, partnerships with University of Arkansas Extension and Research, and the ASU Farm) provide an outstanding foundation for the College of Agriculture and Technology to provide leadership in meeting the needs of a growing world. I am excited about the opportunity for new synergies with ASU stakeholders that provide win-win partnerships for our campus and our graduates."
The new dean has co-authored numerous research articles in professional journals and Extension publications, and he holds two patents regarding water management systems. He has been principal investigator for several research grants.
His classroom experience also includes serving as associate professor of bio-environmental engineering at Mississippi State University, and assistant professor of water quality at the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, Agricultural Engineering Department, in Knoxville.
Dr. Burcham’s academic credentials include a doctoral degree in agricultural engineering from Clemson University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in agricultural engineering from Mississippi State University. He also is a registered professional engineer and president of a private corporation, Innovative Biosystems Engineering.
He and his wife, Joan, are the parents of two daughters, Hannah, a graduate of UT-Martin and Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, and Megan, who is presently a junior in mechanical engineering at UT-Martin.
# # #
