By Traci Rushing
U of A System Division of Agriculture – UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources
MONTICELLO, Ark. — With Arkansas’ multibillion-dollar forestry industry to defend, forest health researcher Laura Sims has been named director of the recently announced $16.8 million Arkansas Forest Health Research Center based at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Sims comes to the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at UAM as an associate professor with more than 15 years of experience in botany and plant pathology research and teaching, holding degrees from North Carolina State University and Oregon State University. Throughout her academic career, she has engaged in extensive research projects relating to diseases in trees.
Her professional journey included time as a researcher at University of California, Berkeley, studying forest pathology and mycology. Most recently she served as an assistant professor of forest health at Louisiana Tech University with both teaching and research responsibilities.
“Throughout my academic and professional journey, I’ve worked on numerous projects focused on plant growth, forest health monitoring and developing best practices for managing plant pathogens,” Sims said.
FOREST FUNGI — Associate professor of forest health Laura Sims and Jacob Hackman, extension forestry specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, discuss fungi found on the forest floor during a site visit (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Traci Rushing)
In addition to joining the faculty at UAM, Sims is also joining the Arkansas Forest Resources Center as a researcher for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The Arkansas Forest Resources Center conducts research and extension activities through the experiment station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s research and outreach arms.
Healthy trees, healthy economy
Arkansas’ forests contribute $6.5 billion per year to the state’s economy according to reports from the Arkansas Center for Forest Business at UAM, and they support wood products facilities, tourism, hunting and many other activities vital to the state’s economy and quality of life. Sims’ role will focus on protecting the state’s forestland resources through her research and by preparing the forestry and natural resources workforce to identify and mitigate forest health threats through her teaching.
“I am thrilled that Arkansas understands the importance of trees and wants to help keep the state’s forests healthy,” said Sims.
Michael Blazier, dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources and director of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, expressed confidence in the skills and experience Sims brings to both UAM and the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center.
“I know Dr. Sims to be very knowledgeable about a wide array of insects and diseases that affect forests of Arkansas and surrounding states,” Blazier said. “She’s energetic and enthusiastic about forest health and forest ecology research and teaching, and I’m excited about the leadership she’ll provide for the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center. This new research facility will be one of the top of its kind, and it’s great to have a faculty member of her caliber at its helm to help safeguard the forests of Arkansas.”
Sims is currently housed in the George H. Clippert Forest Resources Annex, where she is equipped with a lab to immediately begin research on forest pests. The university announced in early August that groundbreaking for the state-of-the-art forest health center will be in October. The vision for the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center and this new position comes from Blazier, with a goal to rapidly address current and future forest health threats.
Blazier said the new facility will include labs to support research on insects, disease and genetics to determine the nature of forest health threats and management actions to mitigate them. It will also have a conference center where the findings of this research will be incorporated into training events for natural resource professionals and forest landowners, benefitting stakeholders throughout the state.
About the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center
The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a University of Arkansas System Center of Excellence, brings together interdisciplinary expertise through a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The College and Center are headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus, but their programs range statewide with the mission of developing and delivering teaching, research, and extension programs that enhance and ensure the sustainability and productivity of forest-based natural resources and agricultural systems. Academic programs are delivered by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources through the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, research is administered by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and extension and outreach activities are coordinated by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
The University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offer all of their programs to all eligible persons 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 are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers.