Dr. Bruce Roberts was the first holder of the endowed Boswell Chair of Agronomy in the Plant Science Department at California State University Fresno. He accepted this position in 2004 after serving as Farm Advisor and County Director for 22 years with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Kings County. Dr. Roberts’ teaching and research interests focused on plant and soil ecology, specifically on integrating ecological concepts to achieve sustainable goals for modern agriculture.  Throughout his career, Dr. Roberts has promoted the development and adoption of management practices that enhance resource conservation of working landscapes through science and stewardship. Following restrictions on agriculture drainage, he initiated a U.C. workgroup that brought together diverse groups to resolve issues on wildlife use of drainage water in the Tulare Lake Basin. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications on agronomic crop research and extension recommendations. Dr. Roberts earned his undergraduate degree in plant science from California State University Fresno, a master’s degree in plant science from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. In 2010 Dr. Roberts was inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy. In 2015, he received the CSU Fresno’s Jordon College Outstanding Teaching Award and was awarded Emeritus status after retiring in 2016.