Southern Region Business & Personnel Officers Conference

Deacue Fields

Vice President for Agriculture, UADA

Dr. Deacue Fields was appointed to the position of Vice President for Agriculture of the University of Arkansas System on July 1, 2022. As Vice President, he is responsible for leading the University System’s coordinated agriculture program including the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agriculture Experiment Station. With almost 1,200 employees, the Division has faculty and facilities located across the state, including a presence in all 75 counties. The Division has a unique mission of serving the statewide agriculture community in Arkansas.

Prior to this role, Dr. Fields served as Dean and Senior Associate Vice President-Academics for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and Division of Agriculture at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He was a faculty member at Auburn University from 2002 to 2018 and served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from 2013 to 2018. He received his B.S. degree (1993) from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his M.S. degree (1995) from University Missouri, Columbia, and a Ph.D. (2002) from Louisiana State University, all in Agricultural Economics.

In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with family, sports, fishing, and showing livestock. He is married to Dana Fields, and they have three sons, Caleb (21), Cade (19), and Collin (16).

John Anderson

Director of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, UADA

Dr. John D. Anderson was named Director of Cooperative Extension for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture in January 2024. Prior to this appointment, he served for four years as Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas and Director of the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence.

From 2016 through 2019, he served as Chair of the Division of Business, Applied, and Technical Sciences and General Farm Manager at College of the Ozarks in Pt. Lookout, Missouri (his undergraduate alma mater).

His career has included appointments with American Farm Bureau Federation, Mississippi State University, and the University of Kentucky. His academic work has focused on commodity marketing, risk management, and agricultural policy.

Jean-François Meullenet

Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, UADA

Jean-François Meullenet is the senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station for the U of A Division of Agriculture.

As director of the experiment station, Meullenet provides leadership for food, agriculture and forestry research statewide, including overseeing personnel, $85+ million in annual research expenditures, and infrastructure at experiment station research locations.

The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, headquartered in Fayetteville, is the research arm of the Division of Agriculture and has 11 research centers and stations across Arkansas. Throughout the state, 150+ faculty have research appointments with the experiment station. Appointed faculty members are in ten departments at the U of A, in the Forest Resources Center at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and in the Arkansas State Research Unit.

Since becoming director of the experiment station in 2018, extramural funding has grown from $20.6 million in FY2018 to $36.3 million in FY2024. Meullenet implemented a faculty orientation program for new faculty, created early career research faculty and staff awards, and has helped enhance collaboration with Bumpers College leadership and department heads. Meullenet has also prioritized investing in infrastructure, with improvements across several locations, a new experiment station office building and laboratory, a state-of-the-art rice research and extension center near Jonesboro, and research and farming equipment modernizations at research locations.

Meullenet served as interim dean of the U of A’s Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences from 2022 to 2023. As dean, Meullenet ensured that the college maintained strong academic programs and effective partnerships with Arkansas’ agricultural, food and life sciences stakeholders.

Before his administrative appointment with the experiment station, Meullenet was head of U of A’s Department of Food Science from 2010-17 while also serving as director of the Institute of Food Science and Engineering over that same period. Meullenet held the Tyson Foods Endowed Distinguished Professorship in Sensory Science from 2006-17 and is a 2013 graduate of LEAD21, a national leadership program. He also served as chair of the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors executive committee from 2020-21.

A native of France, Meullenet earned a master’s degree in food engineering from the National Superior School of Agronomy and Food Science in Nancy, France, in 1992 and a Ph.D. in food science and technology from the University of Georgia in 1996. He joined the U of A and the Division of Agriculture as an assistant professor of food science in 1996.

Obadiah Njue

Assistant Dean for Extension & Outreach, UAPB

Dr. Obadiah Njue has served as the Assistant Dean for Extension & Outreach for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences since October of 2020 and has been with the organization since 2005 serving in various roles within the college of agriculture.

His position supports the Dean in the administration, management and operation of Cooperative Extension program in the areas of planning, implementation and evaluations.

Anthony Graham

Chancellor, UAPB

Dr. Anthony Graham serves as the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, bringing to the role a distinguished track record of visionary leadership, transformative academic innovation, and a lifelong commitment to equity and excellence in education.

Prior to his appointment at UAPB, Dr. Graham served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (2018–2023) and Interim Chancellor (2023–2024) at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. A proud graduate of Kinston High School in Kinston, NC, Dr. Graham earned his bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He went on to earn both his master’s degree in Secondary English Education and his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching with a concentration in Multicultural Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He began his career as a high school English teacher in Greensboro—an experience that continues to shape his student-centered leadership philosophy.

Yathish Ramena

Interim Assistant Dean for Extension and Outreach, UAPB

Dr. Yathish Ramena currently serves as the Director of the Center of Excellence in the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). With over 25 years of experience in aquaculture, his work has spanned across fish nutrition, aquatic animal health, and sustainable feed development for both freshwater and marine species.

Dr. Ramena holds a Ph.D. in Fish Nutrition from UAPB and an M.Phil. in Animal Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University, India. He also holds an M.S. in Aquaculture and a B.S. in Industrial Fish and Fisheries. In addition, he completed executive education in Global Business at Harvard Business School.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Ramena served as Interim Assistant Dean for Extension and Outreach and held key research and management positions in global aquaculture operations. These include appointments as Feed Formulation Scientist at the Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative and Pathologist at Charoen Pokphand Aquaculture (India) Pvt. Ltd. His academic appointments have included work as a Visiting Scientist with the USDA-ARS Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center.

Dr. Ramena’s research integrates nutrition, immunology, microbiome analysis, and AI-driven technologies for enhanced disease resistance and growth in aquaculture species. He has led or co-led several federally and industry-funded projects, including USDA-NIFA Capacity Building Grants, Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) and private-sector collaborations focused on fish, shrimp, artemia applications, sustainable feeding strategies, and aquaponics systems. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves as a reviewer for journals such as Reviews in Aquacultrue, Aquaculture, Scientific Reports, and Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. His awards include multiple recognitions for best research at national and international awards.

Dr. Ramena remains committed to advancing aquaculture through cutting-edge research, technology transfer, and farmer-focused extension programs. He provides fish health diagnostics, nutrition, water quality assessment, and disease management training to farmers in Arkansas and beyond through the UAPB. He is an active member of professional organizations including the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), United States Aquaculture Society (USAS), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and Gamma Sigma Delta – the honor society of agriculture.

Sathish Ponniah

Professor of Plant Science, UAPB

Dr. Sathish Ponniah graduated with a doctoral degree in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in India. He moved to West Virginia State University as a post-doctoral fellow. He joined the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) as an assistant professor in 2011.

Currently, he is the director of the Sweet Potato Foundation Seed Program. He develops virus-indexed clean plants and supplies them to growers in Arkansas. He has secured approximately $3 million in grant money for research and extension programs. Dr. Ponniah has published in several peer-reviewed journals. He is advising four graduate students at UAPB.

Karleah Harris

Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, UAPB

Dr. Karleah Harris is an Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Dr. Harris has worked in several college settings as well as with PreK-12 students, teachers, principals, stakeholders, and grandparents raising grandchildren in the community. Her research interests include using inquiry-based science learning to study kindergarten students’ explanations, the types of discourse strategies teachers use during classroom science discourse, children with learning disabilities, culturally responsive teaching, horticultural therapy, grandparenting, food deserts, food insecurity, and gardening.

Dr. Harris has delivered several presentations at the local, national, and international levels, and has published multiple articles. Dr. Harris received the Chancellor’s 2023 University Outreach and Engagement Award and the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 2025 Leader Award.

Tomekia White

Interim 1890 Scholarship Coordinator, UAPB

Dr. Tomekia Brunson-White is a seasoned researcher and Extension professional with over 25 years of experience in laboratory science, water quality monitoring, and agricultural outreach. She currently serves as the Extension Outreach Director and 1890 Scholarship Coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), where she leads initiatives that bridge scientific research, student development, and community engagement.

Dr. Brunson-White oversees the UAPB Discovery Farm Educational Center, an initiative focused on climate-smart agriculture, on-farm research, and sustainability education. She leads a diverse team of high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students who work under her guidance to gain hands-on experience in research and workforce development. Through mentorship and real-world training, she helps prepare the next generation of agricultural and environmental science professionals.

As a scholarship coordinator, she supports over 50 undergraduate students through the 1890 Scholarship Program and collaborates with schools and community colleges to promote careers in agriculture and natural sciences. Her work is supported by multiple USDA-funded grants totaling over $2.7 million.

Dr. White holds a Doctor of Science in Applied Biosciences from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a B.S. in Biology from UAPB. She is deeply committed to public service, student mentorship, and advancing sustainable agriculture across Arkansas and beyond

Margaret Worthington

Associate Professor of Plant Breeding, UADA

Dr. Margaret Worthington is an Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Arkansas, where she leads blackberry, muscadine, and grape breeding programs.

She is Co-Project Director of the Vitis × Muscadinia SCRI project, developing hybrids that combine the bold flavor and disease resistance of muscadines with quality traits from V. vinifera. Her applied programs integrate molecular tools with traditional breeding to produce improved cultivars.

Dr. Worthington earned her B.S. from Duke, M.S. from UC Davis, and Ph.D. from NCSU, and is a recipient of the ASHS Early Career Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Mike Daniels

Distinguished Professor of Soil and Water Quality, UADA

Dr. Mike Daniels is a Distinguished Professor of Extension Soil and Water Conservation for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service. During his twenty-seven years of service, Dr. Daniels has developed and implemented innovative Extension programs as well as conducted applied research to help agricultural producers and conservation professionals address soil- and water-related issues facing agriculture.

His program has emphasized the development of partners to work collectively to increase the knowledge and application of soil and water conservation practices to improve water quality, soil health, increase irrigation water use efficiency and reduce nutrient losses in runoff.

He co-founded and currently serves as Director of the Arkansas Discovery Farms program where the impact of agricultural practices on soil and water resources are documented on private farms and agricultural producers are included in the solution process. He also co-leads the Arkansas Soil Health Extension Team and served as Chair of SERA-46, a workgroup of land-grant universities from 13 States in the Mississippi river basin that works with the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force.

He has held several leadership positions with state, regional and national professional organizations. He has published over 100 Extension publications and several research publications while delivering over 400 presentations to Extension audiences.