ARD Leadership Profiles
(Click names to review C.V.s)
Officers of the ARD when it was incorporated in the state of South Carolina on May 28, 1979 were:
Dr. Ocleris Simpson of Prairie View A&M University, ARD Chair
Dr. Howard Robinson of North Carolina A&T State University, ARD Vice Chair
Dr. Handy Williamson of Tennessee State University, ARD Secretary/Treasurer
| Research Directors | |
| Alabama A&M University (Prior to Winfred Thomas, the role of research and extension oversight was taken on by the presidents | |
| William Hooper Councill (University Founder and President) | 1875-1909 |
| Walter Solomon Buchanan (Second President) | 1909-1920 |
| Perry C. Parks (Director of Agriculture) | 1909-1920 |
| Theophilus Robert Parker (Third President) | 1920-1927 |
| Joseph Fanning Drake (Fourth President) | 1927-1962 |
| Simon Haley (Director of Agriculture) | 1932- |
| Richard David Morrison (Director of Agriculture and then Fifth President) | 1937-1962, 1962-1984 |
| Winfred A. Thomas (Director of Research) | 1968-1977 |
| James W. Shuford (Associate Dean for Research) | 1977-1994 |
| McArthur Floyd (Associate Dean and Research Director) | 1994-2007 |
| Zachary N. Senwo (Interim Research Director) | 2007-2011 |
| Lloyd T. Walker (Interim Dean and Research Director) | 2011-2013 |
| Lloyd T. Walker Dean and Research Director | 2013 – present |
| Alabama –Tuskegee University Research Directors | |
| George W. Carver (deceased) | 1896-1942 |
| Austin W. Curtis (deceased) | 1943-1945 |
| Russell Brown (deceased) | 1945-1957 |
| Clarence T. Mason (deceased) | 1958-1961 |
| B.D. Mayberry (deceased) | 1962-1982 |
| Bobby Phills | 1882-1985 |
| Ralph Noble (Interim) | 1985-1986 |
| Walter Hill | 1986-Present |
| Tuskegee University Associate Research Directors | |
| James Allen | 1983-1985 |
| Conrad Bonsi | 1987 – Present |
| Arkansas – University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Research Directors | |
| R.C. Davis and O.R. Holiday Coordinators of Research | 1967-1971 |
| S.J. Parker (deceased) | 1971-1982 |
| Arthur L. Allen | 1982-1989 |
| Mazo Price | 1989-1995 |
| Jacquelyn McCray | 1995-2008 |
| James O. Garner | 2008-2015 |
| Edmund Buckner (see resume from link below) | 2015 – present |
| University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Associate Research Directors | |
| Jacquelyn McCray | 1989-1995 |
| James O. Garner | 2001-2008 |
| Edmund R. Buckner | 2008-2015 |
| Delaware State University Research Directors | |
| U. S. Washington | 1970-1992 |
| Kenneth Bell | 1992-2004 |
| Dyremple Marsh | 2004-Present |
| Delaware State University Associate Research Directors | |
| John Graham | 2001-2004 |
| Ambrose Anoruo | 2005-2010 |
| Marikis Alvarez | 2010-Present |
| Florida A&M University Research Directors/Director of Research Activity | |
| Benjamin L. Perry (deceased) | 1927-1947 |
| C.E. Walker (deceased) | 1948-1969 |
| Bill Peters (deceased) | 1970-1983 |
| Sunil Pancholy | 1983-1997 |
| Bobby Phills | 1997-2003 |
| Charles Magee (Interim) | 2003-2006 |
| Samuel Donald (Interim) | 2006-2008 |
| Makola Abdullah | 2008-2011 |
| Samuel Donald (Interim) | 2011-2012 |
| Robert W. Taylor | 2012-Present |
| Florida A&M University Associate Research Directors | |
| Sunil Pancholy | 1997-2009 |
| Moses T. K. Kairo | 2009-2012 |
| Stephen Leong | |
| Georgia – Fort Valley State University Research Directors | |
| Cozy Ellison | 1967-1974 |
| Ronald K. Abe (Acting Director) | 1974-1975 |
| Ocleris Simpson | 1975-1977 |
| Melvin E. Walker, Jr. | 1977-1988 |
| Charles Magee (Interim Director) | 1988-1990 |
| Melvin E. Walker, Jr. | 1990-1998 |
| Seyoum Gelaye | 1998-2003 |
| Fred Harrison | |
| Mack C. Nelson | 2004-2007 |
| Mark Latimore (Interim) | 2008-2010 |
| Govind Kannan (Interim Asst. Dean for Research) | 2008-2010 |
| Govind Kannan (Interim Dean/Research Director) | 2010-2011 |
| Govind Kannan | 2011-Present |
| Kentucky State University Research Directors | |
| William J. Fleming, Sr. – Director of Community Research Service | 1972-1982 |
| Lionel Williamson – Research Director | 1982-1985 |
| Harold R. Benson – Director of Land Grant Programs | 1976 |
| Harold R. Benson – Research Director | 1985-2011 |
| Teferi Tsegaye | 2011 – 2015 |
| Kirk Pomper | 2015 – present |
| Kentucky State University Associate Research Directors | |
| Robert J. Barney | 1988-2010 |
| Kirk W. Pomper – Assoc. Research Director and Director of Ag. Exp. Station | 2012 – present |
| Louisiana – Southern University and A&M College | |
| Maryland – University of Maryland Eastern Shore Research Directors | |
| Joseph Wutoh (deceased) | |
| C. Dennis Ignasias (deceased) | 1973-1983 |
| Mortimer H. Neufville | 1983-1995 |
| Carolyn B. Brooks | 1995-2007 |
| Gladys Shelton (Acting) | 2007-2011 |
| Jurgen Schwarz (Interim) | 2011-2012 |
| Moses Kairo | 2012-Present |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore Associate Research Directors | |
| Arthur L. Allen | 1996-2014 |
| Shirley Hymon-Parker | 1997-2009 |
| Jurgen Schwarz | 2014-present |
| Mississippi – Alcorn State University Research Directors | |
| Jessie Morris | 1969-1980 |
| Johnnie Collins | 1980-1986 |
| Samuel Donald | 1986-1993 |
| Leroy Davis | 1993-2001 |
| Franklin Jackson (V.P. for Institutional Advancement and Interim Research Director) | 2001-2008 |
| Barry Bequette | 2009-Present |
| Ivory Lyles | |
| Alcorn State University Associate Research Directors | |
| George Bates | 1992-2004 |
| Alton Johnson (Interim) | 2009-2012 |
| Wesley Whittaker (Interim) | 2013 – 2014 |
| Andra Johnson | 2014 – present |
| Missouri – Lincoln University Research Directors | |
| Michael Heard | 1999-2005 |
| Steve Meredith | 2005 – 2013 |
| Frieda Eivazi (Interim) | 2013 |
| Yvonne Matthews (Interim) | 2013 – present |
| Albert Essel | |
| Missouri – Lincoln University Associate Research Directors | |
| Marjorie Campbell | 2001 – 2004 |
| Frieda Eivazi | 2008 – 2013 |
| John Yang (Interim) | 2013 – present |
| North Carolina A&T State University Research Directors | |
| Howard Robinson (deceased) | 1965-1982 |
| Sidney Evans (deceased) | 1982-1987 |
| Burleigh Webb | 1988-1994 |
| Daniel Godfrey | 1994-2001 |
| Alton Thompson | 2001-2010 |
| Donald McDowell (Interim) | 2010-2011 |
| William Randle | 2011- 2015 |
| Shirley Hymon-Parker (Interim) see resume from link below | 2015 – present |
| North Carolina A&T State University Associate Research Directors | |
| Sidney Evans | 1987-1990 |
| Charles Panton | 1990-1999 |
| M. Ray McKinnie (Interim) | 1999-2001 |
| Carolyn Turner | 2001-2008 |
| Richard Robbins (interim) | 2009 |
| Shirley Hymon-Parker | 2009-Present |
| Valerie Giddens (Interim) | 2015 – present |
| Oklahoma – Langston University Research Directors | |
| South Carolina State University Research Directors | |
| Tennessee State University Research Directors | |
| David Hamilton | 1967-1971 |
| Hazo W. Carter | 1972-1975 |
| Handy Williamson | 1975-1985 |
| Roland Norman | 1985-1987 |
| Troy Wakefield | 1987-1995 |
| Carter Catlin, Jr. (Interim) | 1995-1998 |
| Stephen Kolison | 1998-2008 |
| Chandra Reddy | 2008-Present |
| Tennessee State University Associate/Assistant Research Directors | |
| Carter Catlin | 1979-1984 |
| Cater Catlin, Jr. | 1992-1995 |
| Carter Catlin, Jr. | 1998- Present |
| Texas – Prairie View A&M University Research Directors | |
| Virginia State University Research Directors | |
| Earl A. Allgood (deceased) | 1969-1972 |
| Maurice Godley (deceased) | 1972-1980 |
| P.S. Benepal | 1980-1990 |
| Arthur L. Allen | 1990-1993 |
| Winfrey S. Clarke | 1993-2006 |
| Wondi Mersie | 2006-Present |
| Virginia State University Associate Research Directors | |
| P.S. Benepal | 1990-2001 |
| Wondi Mersie | 2003-2006 |
| West Virginia State University | |
| Orlando McMeans | 1999- present |
| ARD Executive Directors | |
| Samuel Donald | 1993-2006 |
| Carolyn Brooks | 2006-present |
