Fields Joins Arkansas Research Alliance Board
Fields said that “agricultural research and extension investments result in $10 to $20 in benefits for every $1 spent.”
By Mary Hightower – July 12, 2024
LITTLE ROCK — Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is joining the board of an organization whose fundamental principle is “research matters.”
Fields, vice president-agriculture, for the University of Arkansas System, heads an organization that conducts land-grant research and outreach for the state of Arkansas. He joins the trustees of the Arkansas Research Alliance, whose board is comprised of Arkansas business leaders and the chancellor from each of the state’s five major research universities.
“Deacue brings extraordinary vision to the ARA Board of Trustees,” said Bryan Barnhouse, President and CEO of ARA. “Agriculture serves as a major cornerstone for Arkansas’ research platform, and to have his insight on the Board is immeasurably valuable moving forward.”
Arkansas is the state’s largest industry, valued at about $21 billion.
Public investment in agricultural research has declined over the last decade, yet the pressures on our food system have increased.
Fields said that “agricultural research and extension investments result in $10 to $20 in benefits for every $1 spent.”
China has increased its spending on agricultural research fivefold since 2000 and invests twice as much as the United States does.
“We must increase our investment to remain a global leader and make the technological advances necessary to meet the challenge of feeding the growing global population,” Fields said. “ARA has made great efforts to raise the profile of research being conducted in Arkansas and I look forward to contributing to ARA’s work knowing its motto is ‘research matters’.”
The Division of Agriculture is well-positioned for this work. Its research arm, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station this year has set a new record in research expenditures at $84 million.
Fields earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1993; his master’s degree from the University of Missouri in 1995 and his doctorate from Louisiana State University in 2002, all in agricultural economics. In his spare time, Dr. Fields enjoys traveling with family, sports, fishing, and showing livestock. He is married to Dana Fields, and they have three sons, Caleb, Cade, and Collin.
Founded in 2008, Arkansas Research Alliance is dedicated to elevating a fundamental belief: Research Matters. This strategic focus helps ensure that Arkansas’ entrepreneurial strength is bolstered by the recruitment and retention of top research talent in areas that are commercially viable in the state.
The ARA Board of Trustees is comprised of 25 leaders from Arkansas’ business and academic communities:
- Chair — Ritter Arnold, executive VP external affairs, E. Ritter & Company
- Christina Drale, chancellor, UA Little Rock
- Deacue Fields, VP for Agriculture of the University of Arkansas System
- Cam Patterson, chancellor, UAMS
- Charles Robinson, chancellor, University of Arkansas
- Todd Shields, chancellor, Arkansas State University
- Chris Barber, President & CEO St. Bernard’s Healthcare
- Curtis Barnett, CEO, Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield
- Daniel Brown, COO, Big River Steel
- Daryl Brown, executive director, MISO
- Marty Casteel, president and CEO (RT), Simmons Bank
- Chris Hart, president and CEO, Central Moloney INC
- Sonja Yates Hubbard, principal, The Yates Group
- Jerry Jones, EVP, LiveRamp
- Laura R. Landreaux, president and CEO, Entergy Arkansas, Inc.
- Judy McReynolds, president and CEO, ArcBest
- Charles Nabholz, chairman emeritus, The Nabholz Group
- David Peacock, president, Hytrol Conveyor Co.
- Mike Ross, senior vice president and officer, Southwest Power Pool
- Reynie Rutledge, president, First Security Bank
- Andreas Shoppach, vice president, Global Governance, Walmart
- Michael Verdesca, CIO, Murphy USA Inc.
- Mary Ward, chief people officer, Acxiom
- Dan Williams, retired CEO, Garver
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on 𝕏 at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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