Featured Staff
Teresa Byrd
Teresa Byrd is the administrative secretary for the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia. She works closely with one research technician and two public service assistants. Her duties include making travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, and proofreading and preparing manuscripts, contracts, and proposals for publication. She also prepares presentations and posters for various meetings, seminars, workshops and exhibits. Teresa performs web site design and maintenance at regular intervals. In addition, she collects data pertinent to research projects on a wide range of subjects, such as snail consumption in high-end Atlanta restaurants and public horse riding trail usage.
Teresa started working in the department in 1984 as a senior secretary for Drs. Wetzstein, Dorfman, Ames, and Epperson, where she remained for 15 years. Her duties involved preparation of instructional materials for classes, Journal of Agribusiness, Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Georgia Agricultural Economics Association, and Department Special Events. Three years ago, Teresa was promoted to her current position.
Teresa is an active member of Watkinsville First United Methodist Church. She is on the church softball team. In her leisure time, she enjoys cross-stitching, cake decorating, gardening, playing softball, and spending time with her husband, Bill, and their two children, eleven-year old Haley, and two-year old Rhianna.
The faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics recognize and greatly appreciate Teresa’s hard work and dedication.
William Donald Shurley, Jr
Don Shurley is a professor/economist at the University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in Tifton, Georgia. His education and research duties encompass all areas of economics dealing with cotton, including price outlook, marketing decision-making and price risk management, production economics, and policy analysis. He conducts multi-disciplinary research to improve cotton yield, quality, and profitability. Don works closely with professionals in the cotton industry, including producers, ginners, and merchants, and he provides education and research analysis for commodity organizations and legislative decision-makers. He has authored numerous publications and conducts vital educational meetings. He also served as the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s leader and coordinator for the 2002 Farm Bill educational program efforts.
Before working at the University of Georgia, Don was an assistant professor and associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. Don received his B.S. in Economics from Georgia Southern in 1975, his M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia in 1977, and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University in 1980. He has been nominated by the department for the 2003 D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Extension. He was an invited presenter of “Cotton Outlook” at the annual meetings of the American Agricultural Economics Association in 1999 and 2002 and was vice chair in 2002-2003 and chair in 2004 of the Economics and Marketing Conference, Beltwide Cotton Conference.
Regarding his involvement with the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia, Don states, “I have been associated with the department and its faculty, either as a student or professionally for over 25 years. I have seen the good times and the not-so-good times for the department and the Land Grant System in general. I remember when Fred White, Wes Musser, and Joe Broder first came to UGA as new faculty hires. Steve Brannen was Department Head and Wen Williams was my major professor. John McKissick, George Shumaker, Rod Zeimer, Charlie Curtis (Clemson), Jerry Crews (Auburn) and I were all “bullpen” mates. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to move back to my home state almost 13 years ago now. It is a privilege and honor to work for the department and UGA and to go to work every day with the objective of trying to help Georgia farmers.”
Don and his wife, the former Joy Battle of Macon, have two sons, Justin, twenty-three years old, and Matt, seventeen years old. Justin played college baseball at Middle Georgia College and North Georgia College and is now pursuing a Masters degree in Physical Therapy at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Matt is also a baseball player and will be a senior at Tift County High School in fall 2003. Don is a member of the First Baptist Church, president of the Tift County High School Blue Devil Dugout Club, vice president of the Tift County Recreation Department Athletic Advisory Board, and is a CHSA certified baseball umpire. In his leisure time, Don enjoys attending baseball games and watching his youngest son play, umpiring baseball games, deer and bird hunting with his sons, working in the yard, and family trips to the beach.
