New NMSU President to speak at Tucumcari Field Day Aug. 9

New Mexico State University President John D. Floros will be the keynote speaker at the annual field day Aug. 9 at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari.

Floros brings an extensive background in agriculture to his role as president. He became dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension at Kansas State University in July 2012. During his time there, he led the development of a College of Agriculture strategic plan for Vision 2025, guided the college to record student enrollments, retention and graduation, and nearly 100 percent placement. 

As director, he steered K-State Research and Extension to record extramural funding, with research expenditures of more than $105 million. 

Under his leadership the College of Agriculture established the first ever NSF-supported Center on Wheat Genomics; and four new Feed-the-Future Labs from USAID on wheat, sorghum and millet, postharvest loss reduction, and sustainable intensification, for a total investment of more than $100 million in five years.

Floros’ research work spans the application of chemical engineering science, applied mathematics and industrial statistics to the field of food science, food process engineering and food packaging.

Floros served as professor and head of the department of food science at Pennsylvania State University from 2000-2012. He also served as a professor at Purdue University from 1988-2000 and worked as an international industry consultant for more than 30 years. He earned his Ph.D. in food science and technology from the University of Georgia. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food science and technology from the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. Floros is a native of Greece.

“We’re excited that President Floros could participate in our field day so soon after coming to NMSU in July. The experiences of his prior career should be of great benefit to the university as well as the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences,” said Leonard Lauriault, superintendent of the Science Center at Tucumcari.

NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu also is scheduled to attend.

Floros’ keynote presentation and a welcome for participants will start at 5:30 p.m., followed at 5:45 p.m. by a dinner catered by Tucumcari 4-H Roadrunners and sponsored by local businesses.

A hay wagon tour will start at 6:45 p.m. Participants will hear various presentations from center experts and others on a variety of topics, including:

– Salt Cedar Beetle update from Carol Sutherland, NMSU Extension entomologist

– Quay County Beginning Farmers Land Access and Mentorship from Jason Lamb, NMSU Quay County Extension agriculture agent

– Managing Weeds from Leslie Beck, NMSU Extension weed specialist

– Candidate Summer Annual Forage Legumes from Leonard Lauriault, NMSU forage crop management scientist

– Opportune Cropping from Murali Darapuneni, NMSU semi-arid cropping systems scientist

– Demonstration of Soil Moisture Sampling for Research from Gasper Martinez, agricultural research assistant at the science center.

A special afternoon program will precede the field day at 2:30 p.m. Participants will hear an Entomology Update for Quay County Producers from Sutherland and Observations of the Efficacy of Sharpen for Plantain Control in Dormant Season Alfalfa from Beck. Participants may receive two pesticide CEUs for their attendance.

The science center is three miles northeast of Tucumcari on Highway 54. For additional information or directions, contact the center at 575-461-1620 or [email protected].