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Nov. 8, 2004 Volume 29, Issue 15 |
Foil enters national hall of fame
A former vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine is among the first inductees into a newly created U.S. Department of Agriculture honor group.
Dr. R. Rodney Foil of Starkville was among 10 nationally recognized by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service at USDA. They were recognized for their support of research, education and extension in advancing knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities. The CSREES Hall of Fame was created this year to commemorate the agency's 10th anniversary.
"These 10 individuals have provided leadership, commitment and support throughout their varied and stellar careers for the development and transfer of knowledge in partnership with this agency and the land-grant university community," said Colien Hefferan, CSREES administrator. "Their individual contributions are seen in the success and impact of myriad programs throughout the United States and worldwide."
In 1994, as chair of the CSREES Board on Agriculture, Foil worked with board members and advocacy groups to transform CSREES from a subdivision of the Agriculture Research Service into a separate and strengthened agency.
At MSU, Foil also served as head of the Department of Forestry and then dean of the School of Forest Resources, as well as associate director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. He was named director of MAFES in 1978, became a vice president in 1986.
After Foil retired from MSU in 1999, he began overseeing the CSREES Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. Under his guidance, grants totaling more than $240 million were awarded to address high-priority agricultural problems.
Foil earned undergraduate and master's degrees in forestry from Louisiana State University. He later earned a doctorate in forestry from Duke University.