Montana State names endowed chair in precision agriculture

Paul Nugent was recently named the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Endowed Chair in Precision Agriculture and joined the MSU faculty in 2022 after a private gift to the university facilitated the launch of a new precision agriculture program, which includes several new faculty, the development of new courses and an eventual minor.

The endowed chair—a position established and supported by a specific philanthropic gift—was made possible through a $10 million gift to MSU in 2022. Half of that amount was earmarked for the position, with funds also allocated to support 4-H youth development programs through MSU Extension and a new scholarship fund for students in MSU’s Dan Scott Ranch Management Program, an interdisciplinary degree program in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences.