MISSISSIPPI STATE – Jonathan Pote has been named head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University.

Pote has served as interim head of the department since July 2010. He joined MSU in 1985 and has held a variety of administrative positions, including associate vice president for research and economic development and associate director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering offers degrees in biological engineering and agricultural engineering, technology, and business. The department is part of both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Bagley College of Engineering. Many of the department’s faculty hold appointments with MAFES and the MSU Extension Service.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Dr. Pote’s leadership experience and outstanding record of academic and research achievement to head this department,” said George Hopper, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Dr. Pote does an outstanding job of attracting competitive funding and encouraging faculty to produce practical and timely research.”

Gary Jackson, Extension Service director, said Pote’s understanding of outreach makes him a valuable partner of the university’s Extension Service.

“As a hydrological engineer, Dr. Pote has led Extension personnel within his department to focus their efforts on supporting the state’s producers through improved water quality and best management practices,” Jackson said.

Pote earned his doctorate in engineering from the University of Arkansas. He obtained his master’s degree in environmental engineering from Oregon State University and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hendrix College in Arkansas. He served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize.

Writer: Karen Templeton