WSCSE-2025

Dr. Mike Phillips is the Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and is a Professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. Mike has 40 years of experience in research an extension roles in forage management and utilization. Phillips has served in various administrative roles including the Center Director of a research and extension center, department head and department chair roles, Associate Dean for Extension, and Director of Extension, encompassing 31 years of administrative experience in agricultural sciences. Dr. Phillips holds a BS in agriculture with a business minor from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the MS and PhD in Agronomy from the University of Arkansas. Phillips’ agronomic efforts have been in major impact areas of forage fertilization, year-round beef cow-calf grazing systems, and beef cattle stocker production systems on overseeded warm season perennial pastures with winter annuals and by-product feeds. Mike has taught six courses throughout his career. Dr. Phillips is an active advisor to six research/extension workgroups in the Southern Region of the US. He is an author/co- author of more than 160 technical publications. Through his career, Mike has served on 23 MS and 4 PhD graduate committees and co-advised 12 MS and 2 PhD graduate programs. Mike has taught six courses throughout his career. Dr. Phillips is an active advisor to six research/extension workgroups in the Southern Region of the US. He is an author/co- author of more than 160 technical publications. Mike has completed three noted leadership training programs including the Food Systems Leadership Institute, the Lead21 Leadership Program hosted by USDA-NIFA, and the Academic Leadership Development Program of the NCAA’s Southeastern Conference in the US.