Michael D Toews

Dr. Michael D Toews serves as the Associate Dean for Extension in the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), overseeing a team of over 1,000 faculty and staff across 4-H, family and consumer sciences, and agricultural/natural resources programs. A Kansas native, he holds a BS in biology from Fort Hays State University and advanced degrees (MS/PhD) in entomology from Oklahoma State University. His career includes postdoctoral work at Kansas State University and USDA-ARS before joining UGA in 2006 as a research entomologist specializing in pest ecology and integrated pest management (IPM).

Dr. Toews has held key leadership roles including Assistant Dean of the UGA Tifton Campus (2020-2025), where he increased graduate enrollment by 48%, postdoctoral scholars by 57%, and research expenditures by 46%. His research focuses on invasive species management (e.g., kudzu bugs, sugarcane aphids), agricultural sustainability, and pest management strategies. He co-directed the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health and developed Extension programming addressing stored product entomology and urban pest control.

His professional accolades include the 2015 Southeastern Branch Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management. Dr. Toews has secured over $21M in grant funding, authored 112 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and mentored 6 postdoctoral researchers while serving on 26 graduate student committees. His leadership emphasizes modernizing Extension operations, strengthening urban-rural connections, and advancing UGA's land-grant mission through interdisciplinary collaboration and infrastructure development.