Thomasson appointed to endowed cotton chair at Texas A&M University
Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Stephen Searcy, 979-847-8828, [email protected]
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Alex Thomasson has been appointed to the endowed Chair in Cotton Engineering, Ginning and Mechanization in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station.
The endowed chair was established in 1998 by multiple cotton supporters and was first held by Dr. Calvin Parnell Jr. until his retirement in 2016.
“Dr. Thomasson is an established researcher with 27 years experience, which includes positions at the U.S. Cotton Ginning Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Mississippi State University prior to joining the biological and agricultural engineering department here at Texas A&M,” said Dr. Stephen Searcy, department head. “Along with this broad experience, Alex brings foresight and ingenuity for the continuation of leading-edge research, teaching and Extension programs that will address Texas and national cotton industry current and future needs.”
Thomasson has served as a professor and agricultural and biological engineer for Texas A&M AgriLife Research in College Station. His career work has focused on engineering research related to ginning and production of cotton, most recently measuring cotton fiber quality and contamination, and applying unmanned aerial vehicles as remote-sensing platforms for the production of cotton and other crops.
In October 2016, Thomasson was named adjunct professor of the National Center for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Queensland, Australia. This year, during the spring semester, Thomasson collaborated with faculty and researchers on sensors, robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles for precision agriculture.
Thomasson earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Texas Tech University, master’s degree in agricultural engineering from Louisiana State University and doctorate in agricultural engineering from the University of Kentucky.
