Benjamin Tracy appointed interim director of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

With 17 years of dedicated service at Virginia Tech, Benjamin Tracy has been appointed the interim director of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, effective July 1. He will continue to serve in his current roles as associate director of undergraduate programs and professor of forage and crop ecology.

Tracy succeeds Michael Evans, the school's founding director, who stepped down to focus on his roles as a professor in controlled environment agriculture and co-director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center.

"Benjamin Tracy is the best fit for the interim position due to his extensive experience and dedication to the school," Evans said. "His strategic vision will ensure the continued success and growth of our programs."

Tracy played an instrumental role in the introduction of the plant science degree program when the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences was established in 2018, combining three departments — horticulture, crop and soil environmental sciences, and plant pathology, physiology, and weed sciences — under one administrative roof. His firsthand experience in these changes has properly equipped him to tackle the school’s next challenge of restructuring its graduate student programs.

“The current structure of our graduate student programs can be confusing for students, so we are working toward a unified degree in plant and environmental sciences,” Tracy said. “This overhaul will involve a comprehensive curriculum redesign, and I am committed to having it ready for approval by the end of the year.”

Tracy's expertise spans research, teaching, and Extension. His research primarily focuses on enhancing the productivity and sustainability of forage-livestock systems through plant diversity. He has taught courses on agronomic crops and forage crop ecology and authored 51 peer-reviewed publications, making substantial contributions to the integration of native grasses into pasturelands and assessing forage performance in varied systems.

Tracy holds a Ph.D. in ecology from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in environmental pollution control from Penn State University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rutgers University.

The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech plays a vital role in advancing sustainable agricultural practices and environmental stewardship. Its programs address critical issues such as developing climate-resilient crop varieties, implementing sustainable water management practices, and restoring contaminated and degraded lands.

“It is an incredible honor to lead the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech,” Tracy said. “I look forward to working with students, staff, faculty, alumni, industry partners, and all our stakeholders to advance our reputation and impact.”