Brown named associate VP of MSU鈥檚 Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜shli Brown has been named associate vice president of 幺力视频鈥檚 Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.
Brown will begin July 16 in her new role, helping to advance MSU鈥檚 national reputation as a leader in agriculture and natural resource teaching, research and service. The National Science Foundation ranks MSU in the Top 5 percent nationally for agricultural research.
Brown has served since 2013 as Mississippi鈥檚 State Chemist and since January 2021 as interim head of MSU鈥檚 Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion. She also serves as a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology.
Much of Brown鈥檚 research focuses on the use of analytical techniques to improve conservation efforts, food safety and regulatory science. While at MSU, she has obtained over $10 million in funding from federal, state and industry sources to develop and support a research group, as well as help fund the mission of the 幺力视频 Chemical Laboratory.
Keith Coble, vice president for the university鈥檚 Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, said Brown is respected as an 鈥渆xceptional scientist who works well with people at the university and with our clientele.鈥
鈥淚 believe Dr. Brown is a leader who can help guide the division to greater success and service in coming years,鈥 said Coble, a William L. Giles Distinguished Professor.
DAFVM units include the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Forest Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, and the MSU Extension Service. These six units function on the university鈥檚 main campus and through four research and extension centers, 16 branch stations and locations, in addition to MSU Extension offices in all 82 counties of Mississippi.
Brown earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology and Ph.D. in chemistry/biochemistry from the University of South Florida, where she completed postdoctoral work in biochemistry. She also completed postdoctoral work in chemistry/entomology at the USDA鈥檚 Agricultural Research Service location in Stoneville.
Darrell Sparks will serve as Interim State Chemist and director of the 幺力视频 Chemical Laboratory, pending confirmation from the Mississippi Senate and following Brown鈥檚 move into the associate vice president role. Sparks currently serves as Associate State Chemist and is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology.
For more on MSU鈥檚 Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, visit ; the 幺力视频 Chemical Laboratory, .
MSU is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .