(07/11/2024) BATON ROUGE, La. – Matt Lee, vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture, delivered a live organizational update from the LSU AgCenter Burden Museum and Gardens, showcasing significant achievements and outlining plans for the AgCenter and the College of Agriculture.

As Lee nears his second anniversary with the organization on August 1, he emphasized the substantial growth and impact the AgCenter has achieved over the past 24 months. Key topics included the overall organizational impact, individual and program accomplishments and upcoming developments with key partners. The update underscored the substantial progress and momentum driving the AgCenter's success.

Lee reported a significant increase in grant funding secured by faculty, with total new grant awards for the fiscal year reaching $40 million, a 29% increase from previous years. Additionally, research expenditures, a key metric of research activity, rose by 15% for the second consecutive year, indicating a substantial growth in research efforts and financial support.

Fundraising commitments through the LSU Foundation, 4-H Foundation and FFA Foundation surpassed $6.4 million in new philanthropic contributions, marking a 42% increase from the previous year. Lee attributes this growth to the strong support of donors and industry partners across the state who recognize the value of the programs and resources offered by the LSU AgCenter.

This year's legislative session was successful, securing $6 million in one-time funds for campus equipment and instrumentation, along with approximately $85 million in ongoing authorizations for capital improvements. A key focus this year has been relationship-building with new representatives and senators, which has been instrumental in achieving these legislative successes.

“Thanks to the legislature we have money in various stages in the pipeline to continue incrementally renovating our facilities so that we can assure that we can continue to deliver world-class science and extension programming to our clients and our supporters,” said Lee.

Lee attributes the organization's accelerated momentum to a clear focus, strategic direction and a high level of integrated teamwork across all departments.

On the Cooperative Extension front, Lee highlighted the growth in direct impact, with educational contacts reaching 1.2 million, a 17% increase from previous years. Electronic contact reach surpassed 44 million annually, and approximately 120,000 youths participated in 4-H and FFA programs across Louisiana. Volunteer engagement also saw an estimated 11,000 Louisiana citizens involved in specialized programs.

The College of Agriculture graduated 374 students over the past academic year, with an anticipated fall first-year class of over 460 students, the highest in a decade. Graduation rates remain 6% higher than the university average, reflecting the college’s commitment to student success. Lee noted that the college continues to attract students due to the exceptional quality of its academic programs.

“We were established to solve local problems that have a national and international impact,” said Lee. “In order to elevate that impact, we have to grow our resource base, and we’re doing that rapidly and we’re going to continue to focus on that.”

A recording of the address can be viewed at https://www.lsuagcenter.com/QuarterlyUpdateJuly24.

Matt Lee, LSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture, gives an address on July 10 at the LSU AgCenter Burden Museum and Gardens. Photo by Frankie Gould/LSU AgCenter