Jairo N Diaz-Ramirez

Dr. Diaz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL) in Palmira, Colombia. He received his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and Mississippi State University (MSU), Starkville, Mississippi, respectively.

Since October 2015, Dr. Jairo Diaz has been the director of the University of California - Desert Research and Extension Center (DREC). During his tenure at DREC, he has secured more than $8M for capital and deferred maintenance projects, including a 7,000 ft2 engagement center building (currently under architectural design), agricultural field equipment, facility renovations, and irrigation infrastructure. He has secured more than $1.2M in grants and agreements to perform research and extension activities. By attracting more researchers, securing competitive grants, and increasing donations, he has significantly increased research and educational projects and funding at DREC. His current research agenda is focused on improving irrigation, nutrient, and food safety management in vegetable production in arid regions. Dr. Diaz interests in extension and outreach activities include developing educational and nutrition programs to enhance community resilience to food insecurity, particularly for minority and underserved communities. He has over twelve years of experience managing university research centers in California and Mississippi, improving efficiencies, and enhancing outputs and outcomes. 

Dr. Diaz has led diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, securing significant funding for research and educational facilities, and supporting underrepresented groups through mentorship and outreach programs. He has developed and delivered bilingual educational programs, secured grants for engaging underrepresented students in agriculture and STEM, and held academic appointments at institutions serving minority populations.

With over two decades of research experience, he has focused on sustainable water and nutrient management, smart farming technology, applied surface hydrology, and watershed studies, including field monitoring and modeling to address agricultural and environmental issues in tropical, sub-tropical, and arid regions. He has published 68 articles and delivered 165 presentations on topics such as sustainable irrigation and nutrient management, agricultural production and technology, hydrologic modeling, software development, soil erosion, water quality, evaluation of best management practices, and engaging of underrepresented groups in science and engineering.

Since 1998, Dr. Diaz has taught courses and laboratories at major higher learning institutions in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, California, and Guatemala in areas such as natural resources, agricultural and biosystems engineering, water resources engineering, environmental sciences, renewable energy, and rural extension. Throughout his academic career, he has participated in 12 graduate student committees and mentored 36 undergraduate students in research.

From 2013 to 2015, Dr. Diaz worked as Director and Assistant Professor at Alcorn State University - ASU, a Historically Black College and Land-Grant Institution in Mississippi. As principal investigator, he secured $1M in grants. He established short- and long-term goals for the ASU Mississippi River Research Center - MRRC. He managed daily operations of the MRRC and its building (Ecology and Natural Resources), securing approximately $130,000 for state-of-the-art field, laboratory, and classroom equipment.  He mentored nine undergraduate students and one graduate student in environmental sciences and his research agenda was closely integrated with extension and outreach activities reaching 200 producers, about 250 school students, and 26 teachers.

From 2007 to 2012, he worked as Postdoctoral Associate and Assistant Research Professor at Mississippi State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (MSU CEE). During his tenure, he helped secure more than $800,000 in research funding and $200,000 for enhancing diversity. In 2008, he spearheaded the group that created the student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at MSU, later serving as its first advisor. He was awarded the MSU State Pride Faculty Award in 2010 and 2011.