Effective July 1, 2025, Josh Lee will join Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System as an extension specialist for cotton.
His responsibilities will include in-service training for extension agents, conveying information about new developments from industry to stakeholders, conducting applied research related to cotton production and mentoring graduate students.
“We are fortunate to be able to bring someone with Josh’s skill set to Alabama,” said Steven Hague, head of the Department of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences. “He will be actively engaging with cotton producers and other segments of the Alabama cotton industry to understand their challenges and opportunities.”
Lee’s graduate work at the University of Georgia was focused on the use of plant growth regulators in cotton, but he also gained experience in other areas related to cotton production such as weed control, plant nutrition, irrigation and insect management.
Hague said he expects Lee to soon lead Auburn’s efforts to improve the resiliency of cotton production and fiber quality through extension and research programming across the state.
“I am looking forward to working in Alabama and developing environmentally sustainable and profitable solutions for our cotton industry,” Lee said. “Cotton is an important component of the state’s agricultural economy that needs to be supported through innovation and advocacy.”
