Dr. Carol Kelly (Mason) Named New Texas High Plains Cotton Breeder
By Plains Cotton Growers
Four-year-old Carol Kelly used to enjoy pulling bolls off the cotton plants in her daddy’s fields and pry them open to look inside. I guess you could say cotton fiber has always fascinated her. As a graduate student in 2006, she was asked by her boss, John Gannaway (the cotton breeder at the time), if she would ever want his job. She said yes.
Now nearly 20 years later, she’s got it.
Carol Kelly grew up in cotton, which is why she’s excited to take on the new role of Assistant Profession of Cotton Breeding for Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock, Texas.
“We are excited to welcome Carol to this new role,” said Todd Baughman, center director for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. “Her vast experience with this program is unmatched and we know she’ll be tremendously successful in moving this historic cotton breeding program into the future.”
As Assistant Professor of Cotton Breeding, Kelly will have the capacity to mentor students as she still highly values the mentors that helped develop her as a professional. She will also have a more direct impact on how the center approaches production challenges and fiber quality — something very personal to her.
“My grandfather owned a cotton gin in Brownfield that my dad managed alongside farming cotton in that area, so I know the struggles that producers face,” Kelly said. “And now, my friends are farming their own operations, so I’m very passionate about helping them be successful.”
This program’s longevity has been highly esteemed in the Plains Cotton Growers service area for many years. Kelly says it’s important to her that it be preserved for many years to come.
