Seth Byrd is the Extension cotton specialist for Oklahoma State University. He received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from North Carolina State University, a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Florida, and a PhD in crop and soil science with a focus on cotton agronomics from the University of Georgia. (OSU photo by Todd Johnson)
Steve M. Brown is a 1978 graduate in agronomy and soils from Auburn University and later earned MS and PhD degrees in agronomy/weed science at Auburn and Texas A&M, respectively. He worked as an assistant county agent in a cotton pest management role for a couple of years in northern Alabama and then served as a research associate in a Cotton Incorporated-funded project on no-till cotton from 1980 to 1984. From 1987 until 2008, he served as an Extension weed scientist and cotton agronomist for the University of Georgia in Tifton. He worked for a major seed and biotechnology company from 2008 until 2019, when he joined the faculty at Auburn. His entire career has focused on cotton.
Camp Hand is an assistant professor and Extension cotton specialist at the University of Georgia in Tifton. His research and Extension programs focus on cotton agronomics in Georgia, and his goal is to work with the UGA county agents and growers to answer questions that will help Georgia growers remain sustainable and economical. Camp received his BS and MS degrees at Auburn University in horticulture while minoring in agronomy. His graduate work at Auburn was conducted under Dr. Wheeler Foshee. He then went on to pursue a PhD at the University of Georgia in Tifton in weed science under the direction of Dr. Stanley Culpepper.
Brian Pieralisi is currently the Extension cotton agronomist at Mississippi State University. He was previously employed at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Mississippi, as a research associate under Dr. Bobby Golden while pursuing a PhD in soybean nutrient uptake. Brian has experience with both soil fertility and weed science research in cotton, corn, soybean, and rice. He served as a fourth-generation cotton, corn, and soybean producer in the Mississippi Delta for 15 years before earning a PhD at Mississippi State. Brian also earned an MBA from Delta State University while operating a 4,500-acre farm in 2005.
Tyson Raper is the Pettigrew Cotton Specialist for the University of Tennessee, with a 75% Extension and 25% research appointment in the Department of Plant Sciences. Dr. Raper is stationed at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center and leads the cotton and small grains programs. His research and Extension program is focused on variety testing, fertility, and a variety of precision ag projects. Additionally, Dr. Raper manages the University of Tennessee Cotton MicroGin. Dr. Raper received his BS from Auburn University, his MS from Mississippi State University, and his PhD from the University of Arkansas.
