David Leimbach

I am currently a research associate at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. My primary responsibilities are the planting, management, and care of cotton and soybean research plots for principal investigators working in Jackson.

This is my third and last career. I am employed by a prestigious land grant university and work with some of the finest people possible. I am happy when I am heading into work and I am still happy when I leave. I could lay back, do my job, and be comfortable upon retiring from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, but I am not built that way. I have an internal drive to excel at whatever path I choose. I want to be a research scientist and professor for the University of Tennessee. In order to take steps towards accomplishing this goal, I must possess a PhD in a specialized field. Applying and becoming accepted into a graduate program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville is the first step in my long term plan.

Outside of my employment, I have conducted my own research in the past. For 3 1/2 years, I conducted a study to determine the impact of switching from row crop production to energy grasses and the impact on local mammals. I was given the task to conduct the research from the Chair of the Biology Department at Millikin University. With minimal assistance from my advisor, I researched literature on the subject, designed the study, implemented the study, obtained my data, and published the original research in a peer reviewed publication. Couple this with 20 plus years of experience in agriculture and I believe that I am set up for success and it is highly likely that I will successfully obtain my PhD.

January 2019