March 2008
PaSS alumnus inducted into Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame
2008-03-14
| OSU Agronomy Alumnus inducted into Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame CONWAY – C. Michael French, associate director of programs for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service, was honored Friday for his educational achievements with induction into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. Dr. French is an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he earned his master’s in 1975 and his Ph.D. in agronomy-weed science in 1978 from the Department of Agronomy. |
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| French, 56, of Conway, joined the extension service in 1993 as associate directoragriculture and natural resources. He was promoted to his current position in August 2005. Since coming to Arkansas, French has served on numerous boards and committees in his field of expertise. In the last 14 years, as a liaison to the state Rice, Soybean, Wheat, Cotton and Corn/Sorghum promotion boards, he successfully secured funding to support extension and experiment station projects. In addition, as liaison to the Arkansas Farm Bureau, he has helped develop Arkansas agricultural leaders and sound agricultural policy. |
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“Mike French has dedicated his career to the development, implementation and evaluation of top quality Extension programs to support Arkansas agriculture,” said Dr. Milo Shult, vice president for agriculture with the U of A’s Division of Agriculture. “His leadership abilities have proven he is staunchly loyal supporter of Extension, the Division of Agriculture and the entire University of Arkansas System.” |
| Among his high-profile awards and appointments, French was elected chairman of educational, regulatory and environmental aspects of weed control with the Southern Weed Science Society. French was elected chairman of teaching and extension with the Weed Science Society of America in 1986. Two years later, he was appointed to the board of the Agricultural Chemicals Association of Georgia, where he served for five years. In 1988, he was given an Achievement Award by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. He was named Outstanding Young Weed Scientist by the SWSS in 1989. The Lake Providence, La., native learned the field from the ground up – growing up on a farm that grew cotton, soybeans and wheat. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1973, earning his master’s in 1975 and his Ph.D. in agronomy-weed science at Oklahoma State University in 1978. “Mike has pursued his entire career of servicing agriculture through the extension service,” said Ewell Welch, executive vice president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. After earning his doctorate, French worked at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service where he was responsible for developing and conducting educational programs in weed science. In 1989, French was named head of the extension agronomy at Georgia. The other 2008 inductees are: the late Esther Hill Chapin of Trumann, William “Bill” Dorough of Sweet Home, the late George Dunklin of Pine Buff and Leland Stratton of Stuttgart. The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Farm Bureau. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture. |
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