John Clinton Stier

John Clinton Stier serves as the Associate Dean for academic programs at the Herbert College of Agriculture, University of Tennessee. His responsibilities include leadership for advising, communications, employer relations, career development, enrollment, and student life and success, with oversight of undergraduate and graduate curriculum and assessments. He also maintains expertise in turfgrass science with a specialization in sports turf and environmental issues including pesticides, water quality, invasive species and carbon sequestration.

Dr. Stier earned his Doctorate in Soil Science and Agronomy from Michigan State University in 1997, an MS in Plant Pathology from Ohio State University in 1991, and a BS in Agriculture from Ohio State University in 1988. His academic journey has led him from faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as department chair, to his current administrative role at the University of Tennessee.

An expert in turfgrass science, Dr. Stier's current research focuses on the FIFA World Cup 26 enclosed environments, LED lighting and player-to-surface interactions. His broader research examines environmental impacts and ecology of turfgrasses for lawns, roadsides, golf and sports turf, with areas of work including water use, carbon cycling, nutrient and pesticide movement, reduced maintenance, weed control, and invasiveness. His scholarly work shows a strong focus on sustainable turfgrass management, with recent publications addressing light optimization in indoor stadiums, economic analysis of turf maintenance, water conservation, carbon sequestration, and the environmental impacts of turf systems.

Dr. Stier's administrative service includes chairing the Tenure, Promotion, and Performance Review Committee for the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, participating in SACS accreditation, space and classroom upgrades, and UTIA-UTK collaborations. Externally, he serves on the APLU Board for Agriculture Assembly, chairs the C-5 Crop Science Society division, and chairs the Environmental Quality Section of the American Society of Agronomy. He has also developed international MOUs and administered study abroad programs.

As an educator, Dr. Stier teaches AGNR 480 'How to Feed the World,' PLSC 250 'World Food & Fiber Crops,' and co-teaches PLSC 456/556 'Turfgrass Weed Science' with Dr. Brosnan. His outreach efforts include Integrated Pest Management for K-12 schools, radio and mass media interviews, popular press and industry journals and webinars, and co-founding of the Wisconsin Sports Turf Managers Association.