Donald Robinson Honored With Vice Chancellor’s Award

Writer: Edith A. Chenault, (979) 845-2885, email: e-chenault1@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION - Donald Robinson of Vernon was honored Jan. 8 with the Vice Chancellor's Award
in Excellence for Administration by the Texas A&M University Agriculture Program.

Robinson has been the resident director for research at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in
Vernon since January 1997. In nominating him, Jeffrey Slosser, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
entomologist and chair of the center's awards committee, said Robinson was committed to bringing
excellence to the agricultural programs administered through the center.

According to Slosser, retirements and resignations of several key small grains researchers from the
Experiment Station placed the statewide small grains program in jeopardy. Robinson organized an external
review of the small grains research and education programs and organized the Texas A&M small grains
advisory committee. That committee has been instrumental in enhancing small grains research and
education, Slosser said.

Also, Robinson organized a regional workgroup among forage scientists at Vernon, Oklahoma State
University, the Noble Foundation and two U.S. Department of Agriculture groups in Oklahoma. The
purpose of this group is to maximize the efficient use of research resources.

Robinson "is sensitive to his staff's needs and he strives to make resources, both human and material,
available to the staff to accomplish the goals they have set for their research programs," wrote Galen
Chandler, district director for Texas Cooperative Extension, in his letter of support.

According to Chandler, Robinson is an excellent manager of resources and provides exemplary leadership
for the center.

Robinson earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University, his master's degree from
Oklahoma State University, and his doctorate from Kansas State University.

The Vice Chancellor's award is the highest honor given to faculty and employees of the Agriculture
Program. It was presented to Robinson by Dr. Ed Hiler, vice chancellor for agriculture at Texas A&M.

The Texas A&M Agriculture Program is an statewide organization of agricultural agencies, divisions and
colleges of agriculture, life sciences, natural resources, human sciences and veterinary medicine with the
Texas A&M University System.