Raj Khosla, a globally recognized researcher on precision agriculture with extensive leadership expertise, has been named the Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean of Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
WSU Provost and Executive Vice President T. Chris Riley-Tillman announced Khosla’s selection today following a national search. Khosla will join the college, referred to at WSU by the acronym CAHNRS, on Sept. 1, 2025.
“President Cantwell and I are delighted to welcome Dr. Khosla to Washington State University,” stated Riley-Tillman. “His visionary leadership and proven ability to guide a large academic enterprise will further strengthen CAHNRS. We are confident that under Dr. Khosla’s leadership, CAHNRS will continue its storied legacy and advance WSU’s land-grant mission of serving all people through education, research, and service.”
We are confident that under Dr. Khosla’s leadership, CAHNRS will continue its storied legacy and advance WSU’s land-grant mission of serving all people through education, research, and service.
T. Chris Riley-Tillman
Provost and Executive Vice President
Washington State University
As the Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean, Khosla will lead CAHNRS in developing a clear vision that enhances the college’s teaching, research, Extension, and outreach initiatives. His leadership will leverage CAHNRS’s interdisciplinary expertise and past achievements to promote academic excellence, foster a dynamic research environment, and elevate its regional, national, and global impact.
“It is an honor to join WSU and have the opportunity to lead CAHNRS,” said Khosla. “CAHNRS is one of the largest and most innovative colleges at WSU. I look forward to building partnerships and initiating collaborations throughout the WSU system to develop programs with impact across the state of Washington.”
Khosla currently serves as the department head of the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University. His distinguished career spans decades of contributions to precision agriculture, including founding and serving as past president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture. His research focuses on utilizing spatial and temporal variability in agro-ecosystems to improve management decisions for producers, enhancing production, resource efficiency, and sustainability.
Khosla’s contributions to the field have earned him numerous accolades, including the Werner L. Nelson Award for Diagnosis of Yield-Limiting Factors from the American Society of Agronomy. He was named Precision Agriculture Educator of the Year in 2015 and honored as a Jefferson Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences in 2012. His expertise has informed national and international agricultural policy through roles such as Senior Science Advisor on Food Security to the U.S. Department of State and a member of NASA’s Presidential Advisory Board on Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. He is a Fellow of seven scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Khosla succeeds Wendy Powers, who announced her resignation in August 2024. Scot Hulbert, CAHNRS’ senior associate dean, will serve as acting dean starting June 16, 2025, until Khosla begins his tenure in September.
College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences: Mission and Impact
The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences is a cornerstone of the university’s land-grant mission, dedicated to serving all people through education, research, and outreach. With approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled across 13 academic units, 22 undergraduate programs, and 27 graduate programs, CAHNRS fosters academic excellence and real-world learning opportunities. The college employs more than 450 faculty members and 600 staff, contributing to its robust research and educational initiatives.
In 2024, CAHNRS secured over $105 million in extramural funding, supporting research that spans Washington’s diverse communities, businesses, agricultural systems, natural resources, and landscapes. Through experiential learning opportunities — including internships and part-time positions — students gain hands-on experience in fields such as organic agriculture, apparel design, and viticulture and enology.
WSU Extension is embedded in communities throughout Washington, including every county and the Colville Reservation. Extension faculty and staff work within academic units and subject matter centers, as well as in three primary program areas: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Community and Economic Development, and Youth and Families. Additionally, four Research and Extension Centers across the state house research faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and technical staff, ensuring impactful, localized solutions to pressing challenges.
As a leading research and development institution within one of the country’s most diverse agricultural economies, WSU and CAHNRS support the sustainable production and marketing of more than 300 agricultural commodities. CAHNRS contributes over 31% of WSU’s extramural funding budget, helping the university maintain its ranking among the top five U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded research institutions. The college’s plant breeding programs have yielded widely recognized crop varieties, including the Cosmic Crisp® apple — WSU’s top source of licensing revenue.
