Russell fills key position for Coastal Bend agriculture
CORPUS CHRISTI — Dr. Levi Russell has been appointed as an assistant professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agricultural economist-management in Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend area, according to an AgriLife Extension official.
Russell began his duties Sept. 5.
Dr. Mark Waller, AgriLife Extension program leader for agricultural economics in College Station, said Russell fills a key position for AgriLife Extension, given the importance and needs of the crop and livestock industries of the area.
“We think that Dr. Russell’s background, skill set and his interest in working with the producers and other agribusinesses will make him a valuable addition to our agricultural economics department,” he said. “He will also be an asset to the faculty of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi.”
Born and raised in southeast Kansas, Russell earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and his doctorate in agricultural economics at Kansas State University.
Russell said he is very excited about working with producers, cooperatives and other agricultural interests in the Coastal Bend area.
“My research has centered around efficiency and capital structure issues in farms and cooperatives,” he said, “As an AgriLife Extension economist, I plan to develop an online newsletter and smartphone and tablet apps that are useful to producers in the region and across the state.”
Russell said he will also develop programs related to benchmarking, financial management, crop insurance and decision aids.
“My primary goal is to provide programs that meet the needs of the agricultural community in the Coastal Bend region, and I look forward to interacting with producers, managers and AgriLife Extension county agents to determine how I can best be of service to them.”