Tala Awada was been named interim dean and director of the Agricultural Research Division on July 1, 2026.

Since 2015, Awada has served as associate ARD dean and director. In this role, she has helped guide the research enterprise across UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, overseeing areas such as research administration, faculty development, and strategic initiatives that support sustainable and resilient food systems. She co-leads major research efforts, including Nebraska’s Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network site and Partnership on Data Innovation (PDI) with U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and the Food, Agriculture and Environment Security with the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI), while advancing global collaborations and initiatives in areas like regenerative bioeconomy, grasslands ecology and plant phenomics.

Awada joined the UNL faculty in 1999 as plant ecophysiologist and has since held roles as associate director of the School of Natural Resources and interim director of the School of Natural Resources, where she also is a professor.

Dr. Awada earned her doctoral degree in plant sciences from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; a master’s degree in environmental and renewable resources from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece; and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the Lebanese University.