Lee Sommers
Soil Scientist/Agriculture Experiment Station
Soil Scientist/Agriculture Experiment StationProfessor Emeritus
Former Department Head
Research Interests:
Dr. Lee E. Sommers served as Professor and Head of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences from 1985 to 1996 and subsequently as Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agricultural Sciences from 1996 to 2013. As AES Director, his responsibilities included leadership and oversight for the mission oriented agricultural research programs supported by the AES in 7 academic Colleges at CSU. He also provided administrative, programmatic, and fiscal oversight for 8 off-campus research sites and served as an administrative adviser to several multi-state research projects and coordinating committees. As Associate Dean for Research, he was actively involved in coordinating and facilitating research in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Dr. Sommers received his B.S. in agriculture from Wisconsin State University Platteville and the M.S. and Ph.D. in soil science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. At CSU, he has also served as the Interim Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences in 2000-2001 and 2008-2009, and as a Soil Scientist with the Cooperative States Research, Education, and Extension Service, USDA, Washington, DC in 1994-1995. Prior to joining CSU, he was a Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University from 1970-1985 where his teaching activities focused on soil microbiology and chemistry and research program emphasized recycling waste materials on cropland. His awards and recognitions include: Fellow, Soil Science Society of America, 1985; Fellow, American Society of Agronomy, 1986; Environmental Quality Research Award, American Society of Agronomy, 1987; President, Soil Science Society of America, 1998; Executive Committee, Soil Science Society of America, 1997-1999; Executive Committee, American Society of Agronomy, 1997-1999; 2003-2006; Board of Directors, Agronomic Science Foundation, 1996-1999; 2007-2011; Member, U.S. National Committee for Soil Science, National Research Council, 1996-1999; Co-chair, Organizing Committee for 18th World Congress of Soil Science, Philadelphia, 2006; Chair, Search Committee for Executive Vice President, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, 2002; President, American Society of Agronomy, 2005; Agronomic Service Award, American Society of Agronomy, 2010; Soil Science Professional Service Award, Soil Science Society of America, 2010.