Leadership
Leading research in the Rio Grande Valley
These faculty and staff lead research and extension initiatives of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. Please visit our contact page to send the center a message and to find an employee directory.
Dirk Hayes, Ph.D.
Center Director, Professor
Dr. Hays oversees the center’s mission to solve agriculture, life sciences and natural resources challenges facing farmers, ranchers and residents of the Rio Grande Valley. Beginning as center director in 2023, Hays brings more than 30 years of leadership and problem-solving experience to forming synergistic alliances among the center’s research and extension faculty and staff, leadership of The Texas A&M University System, and county, state and national elected officials. He is a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As a researcher, Hays is an expert in agronomy, breeding, plant physiology and biochemistry. He served as chair of the intercollegiate Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences graduate degree program at Texas A&M for more than 10 years.
Ruben J. Saldaña
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Administrator, District 12
Jorge Da Silva, Ph.D.
Professor
Kranthi Mandadi, Ph.D.
Professor
Julissa Flores
Business Administrator
Freddy A. Ibanez-Carrasco, Ph.D.
Professor
John Jifon, Ph.D.
Professor
Juan Enciso, Ph.D.
Professor
Carlos Avila, Ph.D.
Professor
Research and Researchers at TAMU Scholars
For a comprehensive look at published research across AgriLife Research, the agencies of Texas A&M AgriLife and The Texas A&M University System — as well as information on our research faculty — visit TAMU Scholars online.
