Glen Ritchie, the chair of Texas Tech University's Department of Plant and Soil Science, has added a new honor to his list of academic achievements. He was named the J.A. Love Endowed Chair in Sustainable Agriculture today (Sept. 1), according to officials with the university's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Originally established in 1977 as the J. A. Love Endowment for Plant and Soil Science by the J. A. and Malone Love Charitable Trust as part of a bequest from the estate of Judge J. A. Love, the fund was created to support research and other activities related to organic farming systems, including non-chemical farming. 

In 2018, the endowment was elevated to a chair and the name was changed to the J. A. Love Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture. The chair provides salaries for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, operating expenses, maintenance, travel and equipment needs for the support of faculty enhancement, research, and teaching related to sustainable agriculture, including organic crop production. J. A. Love passed away in 1980. 

Previous holders of J.A. Love Endowed Chair include Tom Thompson, Associate Dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas Tech Emeritus Professor Rick Zartman, and Texas Tech Associate Vice President for Research Eric Hequet, all of whom held the position of chair of Tech’s Department of Plant and Soil Science.

An expert on the environmental factors affecting cotton yield and quality, Ritchie’s research broadly focuses on developing effective and economical water management strategies for crop production in the Southern High Plains. Current projects include research on cultivar selection, irrigation management, and the effects of persistent and episodic drought on crop growth, morphology, yield, and quality.

The Idaho native received his bachelor's and master's degrees in crop science and crop physiology from Utah State University. His doctorate in agronomy is from the University of Georgia. Honors include the CASNR Student Advising Award (2016), and being named Outstanding Young Physiologist at the national Beltwide Cotton Conferences (2011). 

Ritchie has served as associate editor and technical editor for Crop Science, and he is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America. Prior to joining the CASNR faculty in 2011, he served as an assistant professor at the University of Georgia.

Texas Tech's Department of Plant and Soil Science has more than 300 students. Its research program centers on addressing local, regional, national and global plant production and environmental challenges. The department's three-year research expenditures exceed $4.1 million a year.

The department offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in plant and soil science, along with four post-graduate certificate programs in crop protection, fibers and biopolymers, horticulture landscape management and soil management.

CONTACT: Cindy Akers, Interim Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or cindy.akers@ttu.edu

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