The University of Wyoming welcomes accomplished weed scientist Brian Mealor, director of the Sheridan Research and Extension Center, as interim director of the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station.
Mealor will assume his interim role Tuesday, Sept. 2, following outgoing director Eric Webster’s retirement Friday, Aug. 29.
“I am deeply grateful for the leadership Eric has provided to the ag experiment station and our college. His steadfast commitment to the land-grant mission and his success in expanding support for our research and extension centers have left a lasting impact,” says Kelly Crane, Farm Credit Services of America Dean in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
“I am equally excited to welcome Brian to our leadership team,” Crane continues. “With many years of service to Wyoming, Brian has excelled as a researcher, extension specialist, educator, and administrator. His strong commitment to keeping UW relevant, responsive, and accountable to our state will serve us well in this interim role.”
As the research arm of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station (WAES) supports research on topics ranging from drought-resistant crops and invasive weed management to livestock production and agricultural economics.
In addition to supporting on-campus research, WAES operates four research and extension centers across the state. Located in Laramie, Lingle, Powell, and Sheridan, these centers serve as hubs for local, regional, and even international research projects.
As WAES interim director, Mealor will help guide statewide initiatives in collaboration with college leadership in addition to fulfilling local responsibilities at the Sheridan R&E Center.
“I want to acknowledge the good that Eric [Webster] has done,” he says. “During his time as director, significant improvements were made at all the R&E centers, especially in terms of equipment, and we’re poised to move forward even more efficiently…The team is really good, too, and it’s exciting to help support them.”
A professor of plant sciences, Mealor earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in rangeland ecology and watershed management from UW.
Following his postdoctoral research at UW, Mealor served as director of stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming, then returned to UW as an assistant professor of plant sciences and extension weed specialist. In 2015, he was appointed director of the Sheridan R&E Center.
Mealor says he’s fortunate to have worked with collaborators both on campus and in communities across the state. “It helped me get a broad perspective on what applied research can do to help serve people in Wyoming,” he notes.
A nationally recognized expert in weed science, Mealor specializes in the management of annual invasive grasses in western rangelands. In addition to his role as director of the Sheridan R&E Center, he serves as director of the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems (IMAGINE).
Administratively housed at UW, IMAGINE brings together local, state, and regional partners to find solutions for the spread of invasive grasses like cheatgrass, medusahead, and ventenata. The organization leads scientific research, provides outreach education, and develops practical resources for land managers and landowners.
“We have become one of the most sought-out and trusted resources for strategic management of invasive grasses in rangelands of the western U.S., not just in terms of science but also hands-on support,” Mealor comments. He’s committed to bringing this practical, proactive approach to his role as interim WAES director.
Mealor can be contacted at bamealor@uwyo.edu or (307) 673-2647.
