William Batchelor has been tapped as the new director of the Auburn University Water Resources Center, effective immediately. As director, he will lead a team of scientists working with communities, farmers, governments and agencies across Alabama to improve water monitoring, green infrastructure, watershed planning, irrigation and more.
“Dr. Batchelor will bring great expertise and leadership experience to this position,” said Arthur Appel, interim dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture. “With his background and expertise, he will bring a valuable perspective to the diverse range of needs the Water Resources Center addresses.”
Batchelor is a professor of biosystems engineering at Auburn with expertise in crop simulation modeling, precision farming and irrigation. He served as dean of the Auburn College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station from 2010 to 2015.
“It is a tremendous honor to be named director of the Water Resources Center at Auburn University,” Batchelor said. “Our work touches every corner of the state and beyond, from safeguarding clean water to supporting agriculture, ecosystems and communities. I am excited to lead a dedicated team committed to research, extension, outreach and collaboration that ensures our water resources are protected and wisely managed for future generations.”
Before coming to Auburn, Batchelor was professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University, where he also served as director of the Sustainable Energy Research Center, director of the Energy Institute and interim director of the Institute for Clean Energy Technology.
