Academic Report of College of Agricultural Sciences

Valtcho Jeliazkov, the new Director of the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center, focusing on improving the sustainability of winter wheat production in the region.

Provost Hiring Initiative funding provided the College with 5 new faculty positions in addition to 7 new positions funded by AgSci to strengthen programs across the state. Among the new hires are:

• Leigh Torres, studying geospatial ecology of marine megafauna, directed toward improving conservation management of protected species. (COMES)
• Sergio Arispe, studying rangeland plant communities, directed toward how grazing affects revegetation following wildfire. (Malheur)
• Valtcho Jeliazkov, the new Director of the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center, focusing on improving the sustainability of winter wheat production in the region.