Richard Horsley has been appointed head of North Dakota State University’s Plant Sciences Department. He had been serving as interim head since July 2010.

“Dr. Horsley brings a number of very positive skills and tremendous experience to the position,” says Ken Grafton, NDSU’s interim vice president for Agriculture and University Extension, director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources. “He will provide excellent leadership to ensure that the department continues to move forward.”

Horsley has been the NDSU six-rowed barley breeder in the Plant Sciences Department since July 1988. He also took over the two-rowed barley breeding program in 2006 after the retirement of Jerry Franckowiak.

Horsley earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from the University of Minnesota in 1983. He received a master's degree in agronomy from NDSU in 1985 and a doctorate in crop and weed sciences (plant breeding) from NDSU in 1988.

His research has concentrated on the release and development of six-rowed and two-rowed malting barley cultivars acceptable to barley producers in North Dakota and the malting and brewing industries. Additionally, Horsley’s research works to identify genes affecting economically important traits by using molecular mapping techniques.

He is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and American Society of Brewing Chemists.

Horsley will continue to oversee the barley breeding program during his term as head of the department.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Nov. 16, 2011