- September 2022
Research Associate II
Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station
Pontotoc
Years in Position: 4 years
Years at MSU: 9 years
No two days are the same for Callie Morris. That’s what she loves most about her job at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station.
In her role as a research associate for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, she helps manage the certified foundation sweet potato program, which provides lab-propagated, virus-tested sweet potato slips to growers.
She works to maintain clean plant tissue cultures from which the plants are propagated, helps diagnose viral infections, and performs lab techniques that clean up virus-infected plants. In addition, she assists with research projects on and off the station and helps conduct grower meetings throughout the year.
“My favorite part of this job is that I don’t do the same thing every day,” Morris said. “I enjoy being outside and working with plants, but my job is more than planting and harvesting sweet potatoes. Depending on the day, I could be working in the field, laboratory, or greenhouse. Or I could be writing in the office. There is never an off-season.”
She enjoys the challenge of the job as well as working with fellow scientists.
“You have to be a good problem solver who is persistent, determined, and flexible,” Morris said. “It’s also important to enjoy who you work with. My coworkers are great. We enjoy working and fellowshipping together.”
Morris earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin in landscape management and a master’s degree from Mississippi State University in horticulture. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at MSU.
“Any student who is interested in a research career should get as much hands-on experience as possible,” she said.
When she’s not working, Morris enjoys spending time with her husband Jeremy, their children Bennett, 2, Lottie, 1, and the family’s two dogs and two cats. She likes to read and listen to audiobooks in her spare time.
