Carl Griffey named American Society of Agronomy Fellow

30 Nov 2009

Carl Griffey of Roanoke, Va., professor of crop and soil environmental sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, was elected Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA).

Griffey was formally presented with the honor at the American Society of Agronomy's annual meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Nov. 2.

The rank of Fellow is bestowed on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field in the areas of research, teaching, Extension, service, or administration. Honorees are nominated by their peers and must be an ASA member for at least seven years.

Griffey's research and teaching program focuses on small-grains genetics and breeding, with an emphasis on improving disease resistance, and development of traditional and specialty cultivars of wheat and barley. Over the past 15 years, his program – one of the primary small-grains breeding programs on the East Coast – has developed and released seven barley and 42 wheat varieties. Griffey has received numerous awards, including the Virginia Agribusiness Council's Special Recognition Award, the Andy Swiger Land-Grant Award and the Excellence in Applied Research Award from the college, and the National Association of Wheat Growers Recognition for Outstanding Research Benefiting the U.S. Wheat Industry Award.

Griffey earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and his master's degree from Washington State University, after which he went on to receive his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. He began his career at Virginia Tech as an assistant professor in 1989. Additionally, Griffey has authored 39 articles for professional journals and 22 Extension publications, and he has given more than 170 professional and outreach presentations.

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