Rice Technical Working Group honors Norsworthy with research, education award
By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Feb. 27, 2025
Fast facts:
- Norsworthy honored by peers at Rice Technical Working Group
- Worked at Clemson before returning to Arkansas
(424 words)
(Newsrooms: with art)
NEW ORLEANS — The Rice Technical Working Group — RTWG — has bestowed a distinguished award on a distinguished professor.
Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor and Elms Farming Chair of Weed Science at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, was honored by his colleagues on Wednesday.
“The Distinguished Rice Research and Education Individual Award is presented in recognition of recent achievement and distinction in research or educational programs which advance the science, motivate progress, and promise technical advances in the rice industry,” said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist, 2025 chair of RTWG, and colleague of Norsworthy’s at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Norsworthy “is the most brilliant scientist, yet one of the most down to earth people I have ever known,” said Ford Baldwin, himself a distinguished professor and inductee into multiple halls of fame. “I have had repeated opportunities to observe him in everything from prestigious international conferences to turn-row weed control meetings. He has the unique ability command the respect of the International weed science community at the basic research level, while commanding equal respect from a group of farmers at a field day or grower meeting.”
Baldwin first got to know Norsworthy as the latter was earning his master’s degree and watched as the young scientist continued to grow, first with his Ph.D. from Arkansas, and then a faculty position at Clemson University.
Baldwin said he was involved in a project that involved an extensive literature review.
“In doing that, an astonishing number of journal articles I would find would have Jason Norsworthy as the primary author, and he had just begun his career,” Baldwin said. “I remember thinking ‘this kid has more refereed publications by the time he finished graduate school, than most faculty members have total!’
“He has never let up,” Baldwin said.
After graduating from high school in Smackover, Arkansas, Norsworthy headed to Louisiana Tech University where he earned a bachelor’s in plant sciences-agronomy. He moved to Fayetteville, earning his master’s degree in 1997 and following with a Ph.D., both in plant sciences-weed science. After earning his doctorate, Norsworthy spent six years on the faculty of Clemson.
Last year, Norsworthy earned the Rice Industry Award for his work.
The Rice Technical Working Group meets at least biennially to provide for continuous exchange of information, cooperative planning, and periodic review of all phases of rice research and extension being carried on by the states, federal government, and cooperating agencies. It develops proposals for future work, which are suggested to the participating agencies for implementation.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative
Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu