D.W. Brooks Signature Event highlights precision agriculture, honors faculty excellence

An internationally recognized authority in precision agriculture will explain the importance of harvesting data to improve the future of farming at the annual D.W. Brooks Lecture hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Mahler Hall in the UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel.

Raj Khosla, the Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean of the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University, will present a lecture, “Cultivating Intelligence: AI’s Past, Present, and Future in Precision Agriculture,” exploring how artificial intelligence, big data and next-generation sensors are reshaping agronomy and advancing the future of farming.

Khosla believes the productivity, efficiency and sustainability of agriculture will depend as much on “farming the data” as farming the land. He has helped drive global adoption of precision agriculture practices for more than three decades.

The founder and past president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture, Khosla has served as an advisor on agricultural innovation and food security to U.S. and international leaders. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, raised more than $20 million in extramural funding and delivered keynote lectures in more than 20 countries.

The annual lecture is part of the D.W. Brooks Signature Event, which incorporates the D.W. Brooks Awards for Excellence and CAES Research Awards for Excellence in a college-wide ceremony to recognize high-performing faculty and significant research awards received during the 2024 calendar year.

Faculty excellence honored

Following the lecture, CAES will recognize six faculty members with the 2025 D.W. Brooks Awards, honoring outstanding contributions in teaching, research, extension, public service, student success, and international agricultural and environmental sciences.

Excellence in Teaching: Laura Ellestad

Laura Ellestad is an associate professor in the Department of Poultry Science at CAES, where she also serves as director of graduate studies. She received her master’s degree in aquaculture nutrition and a doctorate in molecular and cell biology from the University of Maryland before joining UGA in 2017. While her primary appointment is research, Ellestad is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring students.

Since 2018, she has taught “Avian Surgical Techniques,” one of the nation’s only undergraduate survival surgery courses, which has become the department’s most popular class and a critical tool for student recruitment. She also helped develop a Scotland-based study abroad program in animal health. Ellestad’s dedication has been recognized with a Lilly Teaching Fellowship and the department’s Henry Marks Teaching Award. Her research program engages undergraduates in projects exploring physiological regulators of poultry growth, feed utilization, egg production and skeletal health.

Excellence in Extension: Mark Abney

Mark Abney is a professor and UGA Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Entomology on the university’s Tifton campus, where he has served as peanut entomologist since 2013. His Extension and research program addresses the ecology and management of insect pests of peanut, a crop for which Georgia farmers produce nearly half of the U.S. supply. Arthropod pests threaten profitability and sustainability, making his focus vital to the industry. His work focuses on supporting county Extension faculty, improving management of soil insects, studying ecological factors that affect row-crop pests, and optimizing insecticide use for safety and sustainability.

He emphasizes generating new knowledge and delivering science-based recommendations to growers. Previously, Abney was an associate professor at North Carolina State University, focusing on insect management in vegetables. A native of Cochran, Georgia, he holds degrees from UGA and NC State.

Excellence in Public Service Programs: Jeff Cook

Jeff Cook is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent and coordinator for UGA Extension in Taylor and Peach counties and serves as the area peach agent. Since joining UGA Extension in 2000, he has been recognized for his work with peaches, strawberries and pesticide stewardship. Cook has led or co-led 64 peach research projects and conducted trials in cotton, pecans, forage and strawberries. From 2015 to 2024, he managed a 3-acre research orchard at Fort Valley State University.

He organizes the strawberry educational session at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference and has twice chaired the North American Strawberry Growers Annual Meeting and Farm Tour. He also contributes to the peach session at this national meeting. He is a UGA graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in plant pathology in 1997 and a master’s degree in plant protection and pest management in 1999.

Excellence in Research: Rami Dalloul

Rami Dalloul is the R. Harold Harrison Distinguished Professor of Poultry Science and interim assistant dean for research at CAES. A native of Lebanon, he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in animal sciences and agricultural engineering and a master’s degree in poultry microbiology from the American University of Beirut before completing a doctorate in poultry immunology and gut health at the University of Maryland. After a postdoctoral fellowship on immunity to enteric pathogens, Dalloul joined the faculty at Virginia Tech, moving to the CAES Department of Poultry Science in 2020.

His research focuses on host-pathogen interactions during enteric challenges in commercial poultry, with an emphasis on coccidiosis and clostridial diseases in chickens and turkeys. His group also investigates nutritional immunology, exploring molecular mechanisms of mucosal immunomodulation and strategies to enhance immune development and promote a healthy microbiome in poultry production.

Excellence in Student Success: Woo Kyun Kim

Woo Kyun Kim is a professor and poultry nutritionist in the Department of Poultry Science at CAES. He earned his doctorate in nutritional science from Pennsylvania State University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Texas A&M University and University of California, Los Angeles before serving as an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. His research examines how feed additives, amino acids, vitamins and minerals influence nutrient utilization, gut health and bone health in poultry.

He has mentored more than 40 graduate and undergraduate students, many now in academic, industry and technical leadership roles. Kim also teaches poultry nutrition and serves as section editor for Poultry Science Journal. He has published more than 280 peer-reviewed papers, secured about $25 million in research funding, and received honors including the D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in International Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the Poultry Science Association Nutrition Research Award and the National Chicken Council Broiler Research Award.

Excellence in International Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Alfredo Martinez-Espinoza

Alfredo Martinez-Espinoza is a professor and UGA Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Pathology. Martinez-Espinoza joined CAES in 2002 on the UGA Griffin campus where his work focuses on developing and sharing strategies for managing turfgrass, small grain and forage diseases in Georgia. Originally from northern Mexico, he has built his career around international agricultural cooperation, working with scientists worldwide to promote sustainable, high-yielding crops. His applied and basic research serves audiences across the globe through bilingual publications.

Growers and turfgrass professionals from across Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal continue to benefit from his expertise. His work in Georgia underpins these global partnerships. Martinez-Espinoza has received several honors, including the D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Extension and the American Phytopathological Society Excellence in Extension Award.

Honoring a legacy

The D.W. Brooks Signature Event is named for CAES alumnus D.W. Brooks, who founded Gold Kist Inc. and advised U.S. presidents from Harry Truman through Jimmy Carter on agriculture and trade. The program highlights the college’s commitment to excellence in research, teaching and service while honoring those who advance agricultural innovation at home and abroad.

CAES Research Awards for Excellence laud faculty, students

During the CAES Research Awards for Excellence portion of the program, faculty will be recognized for receiving university, state-level, regional or national awards or grants of more than $500,000 in their respective disciplines. Faculty who were issued a patent, license or plant variety protection (PVP) will also be recognized.

Additionally, CAES will honor student winners from the FABricate Entrepreneurial Initiative, the UGA Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition and the E. Broadus Browne Awards.

The celebration for the CAES Research Awards for Excellence is made possible through private charitable support from the D.W. Brooks Agricultural Fund.

Register to attend the event virtually or in person at dwbrooks.caes.uga.edu.