USDA leaders visit Ļć½¶Ö±²„to honor Jenkinsā 64-year career, highlight āMississippi Modelā partnership
Contact: Mary Kathryn Kight
STARKVILLE, Miss.āĻć½¶Ö±²„ welcomed leaders from the U.S. Department of Agricultureās Agricultural Research Service, or ARS, to campus on Tuesday [Dec. 16] to celebrate the retirement of Johnie Jenkins, an ARS Hall of Fame research plant geneticist whose 64-year career has had a global impact on agriculture.
Over many decades at ARS, Jenkins conducted groundbreaking research, working on boll weevil eradication, transgenic cotton development and nematode resistance, often collaborating closely with Ļć½¶Ö±²„researchers. His longtime USDA office was on the Ļć½¶Ö±²„campus, allowing him to work with university faculty and Extension personnelāan arrangement often referred to as the āMississippi Model,ā a seamless partnership between Ļć½¶Ö±²„and USDA that focuses on solving real-world problems for farmers.
![Dr. Johnie Jenkins speaks during his Tuesday [Dec. 16] retirement reception.](/sites/www.msstate.edu/files/styles/msstatedrupal_large/public/2025-12/IMG_1446.jpg?itok=Lr5Pmaon)
āWe have incredible scientists, technicians and administrators, but this group canāt solve big agricultural problems alone,ā said Jenkins at his retirement reception. āSeek and develop collaboration in every direction needed to solve the problems.ā
Among those on campus for the occasion was Ļć½¶Ö±²„alumnus Scott Hutchins, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics.
āThis is a bit of a homecoming for me,ā said Hutchins, who earned his Ļć½¶Ö±²„masterās degree in entomology. āWe had a wonderful experience here. Our first child was born while we were here, and Iāve always held this place in high regard, both personally and professionally.ā
Hutchins said Stoneville, home to the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Delta Research and Extension Center, is a key example of the strong partnership between Ļć½¶Ö±²„and USDA.
āI revisited Stoneville yesterday, and you canāt tell who is who, whose land is whose, or whose buildings are whoseāand thatās exactly how it should be,ā Hutchins said. āEveryone is laser-focused on farmers and their opportunities and challenges. We cherish the relationship we have with Mississippi State. Itās a model.ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„President Mark E. Keenum met with USDA leaders, highlighting the universityās commitment to supporting the agency and advancing agricultural innovation. He pointed to MSUās work in precision agriculture, agricultural autonomy and unmanned aerial systems as examples of efforts to help farmers stay efficient and profitable amid rising costs.
āAs economists, we have to figure out how to outpace those costs to support our farmers. That requires strong research, trusted outreach and great partners,ā said Keenum, a former Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. āWeāre excited about the next generation of supercomputers and honored to serve the entire agency. Ļć½¶Ö±²„is a resource not only for ARS but across all of USDA.ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„houses the Atlas supercomputer, a high-performance system supporting research for the USDA-ARS. Located at MSUās High Performance Computing Collaboratory, Atlas gives USDA scientists access to cutting-edge computing power for data-intensive projects, from crop genomics to disease modeling.
āThis partnership reflects the strong collaboration between Ļć½¶Ö±²„and USDAāARS,ā said Keith Coble, Ļć½¶Ö±²„Vice President of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. āI find it interesting that just yards away from where Dr. Jenkins spent his decades-long career conducting research on our North Farm is our new supercomputing facility, where the future of ARS and Ļć½¶Ö±²„is going to drive agricultural innovation.āĀ
All of these conversations ultimately circled back to the reason for the dayās gathering: celebrating Jenkins and the collaborative spirit he embodies.
During his retirement speech, Jenkins reflected on a life that began on a small Arkansas cotton and dairy farm during World War IIāwithout electricity, running water or modern conveniencesāand culminated in a career dedicated to solving real problems for farmers.
āI literally came from nowhere to where I am today,ā Jenkins said. āI have achieved the American dream. Iāve had the opportunity to solve real problems for agriculture in ways that farmers could actually use, and thatās been incredibly rewarding.ā
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