Ron Walcott
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and
Dean of the Graduate School
Dean’s Office, Brooks Hall
Athens, GA 30602
706-542-6392
graddean@uga.edu I grad.uga.edu
Dr. Ron Walcott serves as the inaugural Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean
of the Graduate School. In this role, he works with schools and colleges across campus
to enhance the recruitment, support, and success of graduate students.
Walcott has served in several administrative roles on campus, including as interim
Dean of the Graduate School. Walcott served on the graduate education committee of
the Provost’s Task Force on Academic Excellence and currently serves on the Student
Affairs Academic Advisory Board, the university’s Aspire Alliance IChange team, and
represents UGA on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on
Colleges reaffirmation compliance team.
Walcott is a professor of plant pathology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. His research focuses on pathogens that affect commercially important vegetables
and has been funded by more than $5 million in external grants from agencies such
as the USDA, as well as industry partners. He is the co-author of two books in the
field of plant pathology, nearly 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, and numerous book
chapters. He has delivered invited seminars and presentations in nine countries on
four continents and is the vice president of the American Phytopathological Society.
Walcott has garnered nearly $1 million in additional grant funding to enhance educational
experiences for underrepresented students through career awareness programs for high
school and undergraduate students. He has mentored or served as an advisory committee
member for more than 40 master’s and Ph.D. students. He also has mentored several
UGA undergraduate students, as well as high school students through the CAES Young
Scholars Internship Program.
Walcott’s honors include receiving the CAES D.W. Brooks Diversity Award for Faculty
and being named a UGA Senior Teaching Fellow and a Teaching Academy Member. He earned
his Ph.D. in plant pathology from UGA and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, also
in plant pathology, from Iowa State University.
