Texas A&M's Morgan recognized as cotton specialist of the year

The Bayer 2016 Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year award was presented to Gaylon Morgan during the 2016 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Wednesday.

The annual award is presented to the extension cotton specialist who exemplifies exceptional leadership and service within the industry. Fellow specialists vote for the winner after reviewing the nominees' work and service to the cotton industry. Morgan’s passion for grower outreach and addressing industry challenges are two of the reasons he was awarded the honor. 

"At Bayer, we have the privilege to work with some of the brightest and most dedicated individuals in the cotton industry,” Steve Nichols, Bayer's head of Agronomic Services, said. “Dr. Gaylon Morgan represents the very best of scientists involved in U.S. cotton research and outreach. He is a standard-bearer of the partnership between science and industry with the mutual goal to preserve the viability of the U.S. cotton industry today while simultaneously laying the groundwork for future excellence. His dedication to parlaying that scientific knowledge and experience to the grower is a critical component to the continued success of our industry."

Morgan is the Texas State Extension Specialist at Texas A&M University, where he received his bachelors and masters degrees in agronomy.

“As a former recipient, I know how much it means to be recognized by your peers,” Guy Collins, the 2015 award winner who presented the 2016 title to Morgan. “Gaylon is very deserving of this award. He is well-respected by his colleagues and he has worked very hard to earn that respect over the years. If I had to single out one attribute that is really remarkable about Gaylon, it would be his ability to look at an issue through a different lens and create a well thought-out approach to study and solve the problem. That’s a mark of an excellent scientist and a highly effective extension specialist. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a colleague, a collaborator and a friend."