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Salassi to head LSU AgCenter animal, plant programs

Salassi to head LSU AgCenter animal, plant programs (08/19/19) BATON ROUGE, La. — Michael Salassi has been named as LSU AgCenter associate vice president and program leader of animal and plant sciences. For the past four years, Salassi has served as head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness where he is the A. Wilbert’s Sons Endowed Professor of Agricultural and Natural Resources.Prior to that time, he was on the faculty for 21 years with a teaching, research and extension appointment. He will replace Rogers Leonard, who plans to retire in February 2020. Salassi received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from LSU and a doctorate from Mississippi State University. He worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service in Washington, D.C., for nine years before returning to LSU as an associate professor in 1994. He became a full professor in 2002. Salassi also served as the assistant director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the AgCenter research division. His main research and extension focus during his career has been commodity production economics, farm management and commodity farm policy. This associate vice president leads the AgCenter extension and research efforts related to animals, plants and natural resources. “Of the many things I’ve done in my 25 years with the LSU AgCenter, I have really enjoyed working with industry and stakeholders, conducting research and extension activities important to their economic viability, and I welcome the opportunity to do so on a larger scale,” Salassi said. Salassi will work closely with the AgCenter’s two other associate vice presidents and program leaders in nutrition and youth development. Salassi will work with Leonard on part-time effective immediately and will assume the role full time upon Leonard’s retirement.