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The AGCSA Extends a Warm Welcome to Auburn’s recently appointed head of Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences,
Dr. Steven Hague
Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2024
An
internationally recognized cotton breeder, and most recently, a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University, Dr. Steven Hague was appointed as head of the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University in July of this year. There are certain cornerstones that Dr. Hague considers important in visualizing a future with the department. “I realized that whether it is industry, academia, commodity groups, or other agricultural organizations, there is a strong connection between the effectiveness and impact of those entities relative to the quality of their leadership. My personal core values dictate that people should be treated fairly and resources managed with respect. Inspiration is vital to move programs forward.” “I intentionally prepared for my current position at Auburn by engaging in leadership programs; getting involved in several university committees (especially those outside of my discipline); and asking for advice from administrators. I wanted to lead a department that was big enough to have the resources to make an impact, but small enough to be able to respond quickly to the Department’s needs and opportunities. The Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences department at Auburn University met those criteria and had many other advantages – supportive stakeholders and alumni, highly productive staff and faculty, and great, great students!” And Dr. Hague couldn’t be happier about the high levels of talent in his new department. “My new colleagues at Auburn are exceeding my wildest expectations! As one example, a few weeks ago I was at a growers’ conference and Dr. Steve Li, Auburn Extension Weed Specialist, gave a presentation about his work with drones. That was the most effective presentation that I have ever seen, and I have probably seen 26
thousands of those types of presentations. I love the people I get to work with both within Auburn University and the State of Alabama. I love getting to help them find solutions to their problems, creating opportunities for their livelihoods, and advocating on their behalf.” Additionally, Dr. Hague is appreciative that the turfgrass program at Auburn is blessed to have a great teaching and research location less than five minutes away from the main campus. “Our climate and soil types are ideal for evaluating turfgrass varieties, inputs, and management techniques highly applicable to the southeast region of the US. Opportunities for students studying turfgrass are boundless and the faculty and staff in our department are committed to helping these students grow their own way into a career in the turfgrass industry. Additionally, the grassroots support I feel from stakeholders and Auburn alumni is exceptional. They genuinely want to help us succeed. I never expected to have that level of backing this quickly.” He is full of enthusiasm about the opportunities ahead. “There are not enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do, so I work on the tasks that I have to do. Making the right decisions about priorities is essential.” Steven’s work ethic and path to achievement solidified some years ago when he came across a letter written by his great-grandfather in 1883. “My great-grandfather was serving as a young lieutenant in the Texas Rangers. In the letter he was upset with the support he was getting from the state government in Austin. There was a phrase in the letter that has since stuck with me, ‘We are going to do things right, or we are not going to do them a’tall [sic]’. My takeaway from his words was that if I don’t have the means to do a job correctly, and it’s unlikely that help is on the way, then I need to move onto a different
