NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A professor from Tennessee State University has been recognized for his public service and contributions to the rural farming community. Dr. Roy Bullock, professor of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, received the accolades when he was inducted into the George Washington Carver Public Service Hall of Fame.
The public service award, presented to Bullock December 7, is given to those individuals whose work mirrors the philosophy of world-recognized scholar George Washington Carver – “the greatest good for the greatest number of people.”
The award recognizes teaching and research accomplishments that improve the quality of life for clientele served by land-grant institutions such as Tennessee State University. The award ceremony is part of the annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Bullock is the first recipient of the prestigious award from Tennessee State University and the first in the state. The award was first presented in 1984.
“This is a great honor to receive this distinction,” said Bullock, who also serves as the Extension state program leader for Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Very few people have received this award.”
Dr. Latif Lighari, associate dean for Extension in the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, expressed pride in and gratitude for Bullock’s many years of service to the college and the farming community.
“This is a great honor for the TSU Cooperative Extension Program to have one of our senior faculty recognized with this prestigious distinction,” Lighari said. “This recognition is given only to people with a remarkable record of success in extension, outreach and university engagement.”
As for the future, Bullock says that he is focused on spending the rest of his career focusing on rebuilding the farming population, which is vital to the nation’s future.
“We need to replenish the aging farmer with the young vibrant farmer through whatever means necessary,” he explained. “If farming fails, everything fails.”
Bullock, a graduate of Class VIII of the National Extension Leadership Development (NELD) Program, has written more than 30 Extension publications. In his current position, he provides leadership to county agents who focus on small farmers in all 95 Tennessee counties. He is a 2009 recipient of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Excellence in Extension Award, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award (2001), the University of Tennessee Program of Distinction Award for Small Farms (2004), the Blue and White Gala Award for Outstanding Program in Small Farms (2006), and the Award of Excellence for Exceptional Programming for Southern Regional Extension Forestry (2006).
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About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
