Alex Thomasson

Alex Thomasson is a professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU), jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Bagley College of Engineering. As the William and Sherry Berry Endowed Chair, he pioneered precision agriculture, remote sensing, and robotics, founding the nation’s first Agricultural Autonomy Institute. His work spans UAV-based phenotyping, robotic harvesting, and AI-driven nutrient management systems.

Research Interests:

• Precision agriculture with emphasis on UAV-based monitoring
• Robotic systems for cotton harvesting and field automation
• Machine learning applications in crop stress detection
• Integration of air-ground sensing networks

Scientific Awards:

• Elected member of the International Academy of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (IAABE)
• Held the William and Sherry Berry Endowed Chair

Thomasson has mentored over 40 graduate and postdoctoral students, fostering global academic leadership in agricultural technology. His research drives sustainable yield optimization and production efficiency through advanced sensing and autonomous systems.