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With Arkansas’ multibillion-dollar forestry industry to defend, forest health researcher Dr. Laura Sims, associate professor for the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, has been named director of the recently announced $16.8 million Arkansas Forest Health Research Center based at the university.

Dr. Sims has more than 15 years of experience in botany and plant pathology research and teaching, holding degrees from North Carolina State University and Oregon State University. Throughout her academic career, she has engaged in extensive research projects relating to diseases in trees.

Her professional journey included time as a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, studying forest pathology and mycology. Most recently she served as an assistant professor of forest health at Louisiana Tech University with both teaching and research responsibilities.

“Throughout my academic and professional journey, I’ve worked on numerous projects focused on plant growth, forest health monitoring and developing best practices for managing plant pathogens,” Dr. Sims said.

In addition to joining the faculty at UAM, Dr. Sims is also joining the Arkansas Forest Resources Center as a researcher for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The Arkansas Forest Resources Center conducts research and extension activities through the experiment station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s research and outreach arms.

Arkansas’ forests contribute $6.5 billion per year to the state’s economy according to reports from the Arkansas Center for Forest Business at UAM, and they support wood products facilities, tourism, hunting and many other activities vital to the state’s economy and quality of life. Dr. Sims’ role will focus on protecting the state’s forestland resources through her research and by preparing the forestry and natural resources workforce to identify and mitigate forest health threats through her teaching.

“I am thrilled that Arkansas understands the importance of trees and wants to help keep the state’s forests healthy,” Dr. Sims said.

Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at UAM and director of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, expressed confidence in the skills and experience Sims brings to both UAM and the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center.

“I know Dr. Sims to be very knowledgeable about a wide array of insects and diseases that affect forests of Arkansas and surrounding states,” Dr. Blazier said. “She’s energetic and enthusiastic about forest health and forest ecology research and teaching, and I’m excited about the leadership she’ll provide for the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center. This new research facility will be one of the top of its kind, and it’s great to have a faculty member of her caliber at its helm to help safeguard the forests of Arkansas.”

Dr. Sims is currently housed in the George H. Clippert Forest Resources Annex, where she is equipped with a lab to immediately begin research on forest pests. The university announced in early August that the groundbreaking for the state-of-the-art forest health center will be in October. The vision for the Arkansas Forest Health Research Center and this new position comes from Dr. Blazier, with a goal to rapidly address current and future forest health threats.

Dr. Blazier said the new facility will include labs to support research on insects, disease and genetics to determine the nature of forest health threats and management actions to mitigate them. The center will also have a conference center where the findings of this research will be incorporated into training events for natural resource professionals and forest landowners, benefitting stakeholders throughout the state.