Director and lead researcher of Oregon State University’s (OSU) Global Hemp Innovation Center

Jay Noller, is the new Director and lead researcher of Oregon State University’s (OSU) Global Hemp Innovation Center. The Center is the nation’s largest research center devoted to the study of hemp with more than 40 faculty representing 19 academic disciplines engaged in research, teaching, and extension services. It houses the most comprehensive knowledge of hemp care and feeding to be found anywhere. The Center is advancing the research of hemp and its market potential across multiple diverse industries and research fields to serve the growing international demand for innovative approaches to food, health, and fiber.

Through Noller’s leadership, this large department provides the citizens of Oregon and beyond with diverse activities in education, research, extension, and public service relevant to seed production, soils and ecosystem services, small farms and community food systems, pest management, and various approaches to natural resource management.

Noller is professor of landscape pedology, with research involving the disciplines of soil science, geomorphology, art and archaeology. His research focuses on morphologistics (the art‐science of shape and form) and human interactions with soils in modern and ancient agricultural and forest landscapes of the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. His experience includes more than 35 large projects, spanning much of North and South America, southern Europe, southwest Asia, and Africa. He has published more than 180 papers and maps, six books and has made contributions to additional works. He is also an internationally known soil artist creating large eco‐artwork installations and fine‐art paintings on display and in collections around the world.