The NRC's New Face

Addesso takes over as head of NRC | By Charlie Morrison

With the retirement of Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center (NRC) Director Dr. Nick Gawel in January of this year, there is new blood atop the key Tennessee State University College of Agriculture (TSUAg) research facility. TSUAg associate professor and entomology research scientist Dr. Karla Addesso took over as the Director of the facility following Dr. Gawel’s retirement, stepping in as the first new Director to lead the NRC in over 27 years.

Anytime you lose a leader who spent nearly three decades on the job you lose something, but given that Addesso was both Gawel’s and TSUAg Dean Dr. Chandra Reddy’s pick to take over after he left demonstrates the confidence the College has in the new Director’s management and leadership abilities.

“I’m happy to be leaving the facility in extremely, extremely capable hands and excited that Karla is taking over with her ideas and her energy and her leadership ability,” said Dr. Gawel of his successor in an interview with AgLink just before he wrapped up his tenure. “She’s going to do great things.”

Dr. Addesso is quick to credit her predecessor and mentor for everything he gave to the NRC, noting that in the world of science it’s rare to walk into a new position with all systems going strong. “Nick has done a great job over all these years keeping us steady, keeping the industry engaged, keeping the legislature engaged as well as the growers,” said Addesso in an interview with AgLink.

“I’m glad that when I walked into this position everything was working great, (Dr. Gawel) got us there,” she continued. “I’m not walking into a disaster I have to fix, I’m walking into a position that’s going really well, where we can look to plan.”

And when it comes to planning Dr. Addesso took over the NRC with ideas of her own, goals she’s set, and places she wants to take the facility as it moves into the future. Expanding the facility with a new wing is one of Dr. Addesso’s big goals, along with introducing quarantine facilities, re-engaging the NRC Nursery Advisory Group, expanding the facility’s museum collection, and creating facilities to house visiting scientists.