Auburn University Scientist to Lead the Crop Science Society of America

Beth Guertal, a professor of crop, soil, and environmental sciences at Auburn University in Alabama, has been voted president-elect of the Crop Science Society of America. She will serve for one-year as president-elect and then lead the society after the organization’s annual meeting in Baltimore in 2018. The Crop Science Society of America was founded in 1955 and today has more than 5,500 members.

Professor Guertal conducts research in the area of turfgrass soil fertility, specializing in grass management for sports fields, golf courses and private homes. She has been a member of the Crop Science Society of America for the past quarter century.

Dr. Guertal also serves as editor-in-chief for all publications of the American Society of Agronomy. She is the first women in history to hold this position in the society’s 150-year history.

Professor Geurtal joined the Auburn University faculty in 1993. She holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s degree in soil science from Ohio State University. Dr. Guertal earned a Ph.D. in soil science from Oklahoma State University.