By the U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
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 Fields, VP-agriculture for the U of Arkansas System, talks about the Division of Agriculture he heads, in a presentation in 2023. Fields has been named to a board that values research. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image)
“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 about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.