George Smith

Dr. George W. Smith is the Dean for the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences/Cooperative Extension at the University of Arizona. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Smith was a professor of animal science at Michigan State University (MSU) and also served in senior leadership roles as director of AgBioResearch and senior associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. As director, he provided strategic leadership and administrative oversight for AgBioResearch, a university-wide program dedicated to innovative solutions for agriculture, food systems and the environment, with impact reaching across Michigan, the nation and beyond. 

Dr. Smith holds a doctorate and master’s degree in animal science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho. He received sustained funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health and authored 143 journal articles and 17 book chapters. As his career evolved toward research administration and college leadership, he has helped grow global research partnerships in more than 50 countries to strengthen agricultural productivity and food security.