MSU AgBioResearch Director George Smith to Lead University of Arizona
George Smith, MSU’s AgBioResearch director who secured over $50 million in state funding for campus facilities, will become dean at University of Arizona in August.
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN — George Smith, director of Michigan State University’s AgBioResearch and senior associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will leave his position to become the next Charles-Sander Dean of the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences department.
Smith will depart from MSU on August 1, ending his tenure with the agricultural research division where he has served as director since 2021.
“It’s been an honor to serve as AgBioResearch director, which I often refer to as the best job on campus,” Smith said in a statement. “The primary goal has always been to deliver solutions to the various problems facing agriculture and natural resources. Having the chance to interact with our scientists, legislators, industries, growers and producers has let me know that, in many ways, we’ve succeeded. But the work is not done.”
Major Funding Achievements
During his leadership, Smith played a key role in securing significant state funding for MSU’s agricultural programs. He was instrumental in acquiring $30 million in state funding for the new Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center that opened in July 2025.
Smith also helped secure $23 million in state funds to renovate and add to the MSU Plant Science Research Greenhouse Complex, further expanding the university’s research capabilities.
Administrative Reforms and Leadership
Under Smith’s direction, AgBioResearch underwent several organizational improvements. He led the expansion of the organization’s Research Evaluation and Data Analytics team and revamped its communications strategy to more accurately track and convey the impact of its research efforts.
Before becoming director of AgBioResearch in 2021, Smith served as the associate director from 2015 to 2021. In that role, he oversaw animal agriculture programs and the AgBioResearch Office of Research Support, which assists scientists from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in applying for outside grants.
University Recognition
Michigan State University praised Smith’s contributions to the institution, particularly highlighting his legislative advocacy and work to strengthen partnerships within the agriculture and natural resources industry.
“In Dr. Smith’s decades of service to MSU, he’s been an outstanding researcher, a skillful administrator and a powerful advocate for state and federal research funding,” said Matt Daum, the university’s associate provost and dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “He’s also been an exceptional mentor and colleague to many, myself included.”
Smith’s departure represents a significant transition for MSU’s agricultural research programs as the university prepares to select his replacement ahead of the new academic year.
