Extension Specialist of the Year
March 13, 2009 After a year of leadership in and dedication to his field, Dr. Dale Monks was selected as the 2008 Cotton Extension Specialist of the Year by his peers. Monks, an Extension cotton specialist and professor at Auburn University, was selected for the honor by other Extension specialists from across the Cotton Belt and received the award at a ceremony during the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in San Antonio.
Monks’ efforts over the past year have focused on the practical problems faced by cotton and soybean farmers in Alabama and across the Southeast. He is also involved with the Alabama Cotton Program, a joint effort between agronomists, agricultural engineers, entomologists, plant pathologists and research faculty aimed at providing research and Extension programs. The program targets county agents, crop consultants, producers, industry representatives and state and national cotton interests.
“Dale has always had the ability to relate well to people,” says Charles Burmester, an Auburn University Extension agronomist and past recipient of the award. “He has the best interest of farmers at heart, and it shows in everything he does. He is someone you can count on professionally and personally.”
Now sponsored by Bayer CropScience, the award has been handed out at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences annually since 1984. Steve Nichols, Bayer CropScience U.S. agronomic manager, said the company is proud to be a part of this longstanding award.
“Extension has always been one of the cornerstones of this industry, and we are pleased to congratulate Dale Monks on this notable achievement in his career,” Nichols said. “Dale delivers a high level of professionalism and has a strong commitment to his customers, colleagues and family. It is a pleasure to see Dale recognized by his peers for his dedication and service to the industry.”
In addition to his own research and his work with the Alabama Cotton Program, Monks is involved with several committees at Auburn University and holds several positions with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), including Environmental Issues Group, leader for biotechnology (2002 – present); chairman, State Cotton Expo (1993 – present); member, Alabama Experiment Station Soil Testing Services, Agronomy and Soils (2000 – present); member, Central Alabama Cotton Workshop Committee (1999 – present). He also served as director, Alabama Extension Specialists Association, Agriculture and Natural Resources, ACES (2002–2004). Monks is also a member of the Southern Conservation Tillage Conference for Sustainable Agriculture Planning, Agronomy and Soils.
As an Extension crop physiologist, Monks has worked primarily with cotton and soybean variety evaluations, plant growth regulators for cotton, plant growth and development, and environmental impact on cotton.
Burmester said Monks is “very deserving of this award, and I think it shows his dedication to Alabama agriculture and cotton in particular. I am proud to call him my colleague and friend.”
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