By Andi Anderson
Project GREEEN, Michigan’s leading plant agriculture initiative based at Michigan State University, is undergoing a leadership transition. Starting July 1, 2025, Dr. Cornelius Barry, associate professor in MSU’s Department of Horticulture, will succeed Dr. Jim Kells as the program coordinator.
Dr. Kells has led Project GREEEN since 2019 and is widely appreciated for his service and dedication. Under his leadership, the program strengthened its support for Michigan agriculture by funding research and connecting experts with the farming community.
Dr. George Smith, director of MSU AgBioResearch, praised Kells and expressed confidence in Barry’s leadership.
Barry has been preparing for this role through the MSU AgBioResearch Administrative Fellows Program, where he worked alongside Kells for the past year. He has already played a key role in managing Project GREEEN’s competitive grants, including coordinating review panels and helping researchers through the proposal process.
Project GREEEN is a partnership between MSU, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and the Michigan Plant Coalition. It addresses challenges in plant agriculture and supports innovation across more than 300 crop commodities.
In 2023, Project GREEEN celebrated 25 years of service. The program also backs essential services like Enviroweather and the MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab, while providing seed funding for urgent research.
According to an MSU economic analysis, Project GREEEN has generated over $15 in economic activity for every $1 invested, with $136.5 million invested by the state since it began.
Dr. Barry looks forward to helping faculty access grants and continue meaningful research. He credited Dr. Kells for his mentorship and expressed excitement about leading the program into its next chapter, with strong support from MDARD and Michigan’s commodity groups.
Photo Credit: michigan-state-university-msu
Categories: Michigan, Education