By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — Hannah Wright-Smith, new extension weed specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is looking forward to helping county extension agents make a difference in the lives of their constituents.
NEW TO EXTENSION — Hannah Wright-Smith has joined the Cooperative Extension Service's horticulture faculty as a weed specialist, where she will help county agents with issues related to brush control, forests, forages, turf, horticulture crops, industrial sites and right-of-way. (Division of Agriculture photo.)
“I am most excited to be a resource for county agents so they can assist people in their communities,” she said.
Wright-Smith began her new extension role on Oct. 3. Vic Ford, extension associate vice president of agriculture and natural resources, said Wright-Smith’s primary responsibilities will be handling weed science problems and education for several subject areas.
“This includes brush control, forests, forages, turf, horticulture crops, industrial sites and right-of-way,” Ford said.
As part of her duties, Wright-Smith will also conduct research for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.
In 2016, Wright-Smith received her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics with an emphasis in Agribusiness from Mississippi State University. She received her Master of Science in Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, with an emphasis in Weed Science, from the University of Arkansas in 2020. She will receive her Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Sciences, with an emphasis in Weed Science, from the University of Georgia in December. Her dissertation focuses on “investigating novel herbicide uses in specialty crops, detecting pesticide residues in cotton and evaluating the benefits of a new herbicide for wheat producers.”
Wright-Smith said she is excited to join the extension horticulture faculty and get started with her programming.
“I am glad to be in the horticulture department,” she said. “The people are great, and I have really enjoyed the diversity of crops covered by the department and this weed specialist position. I am really looking forward to getting my program going.”
Ford said Wright-Smith and her expertise are a welcome addition to the agriculture and natural resources section.
“Dr. Wright-Smith is a product of the University of Arkansas, and we are proud to have her on the agriculture and natural resources team,” Ford said. “She has the skills and desire to assist and train agents and clients in her field. She has already started making impacts and working with agents. She has that drive to help people, which differentiates good extension employees. I look forward to seeing her career develop.”
Wright-Smith can be reached at hewright@uada.edu. For more information about extension crops and commercial horticulture resources, visit the Commercial Horticulture in Arkansas website.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter 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 Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.