Tracy M. Sterling

Tracy M. Sterling serves as head of Montana State University’s Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. She has earned many awards for her excellence in research in the field of weed physiology and currently serves as a fellow in the Western Society of Weed Science. Sterling is also an awarded educator.  She has garnered accolades for her work in post-secondary education and distance education. At her former institution, she led a successful NSF ADVANCE grant aimed at increasing the participation of women faculty in STEM fields. At MSU, she earned the Women’s Faculty Caucus Distinguished Mentor Award in 2016. She was appointed co-chair for the President’s Commission on the Status of University Women from 2016 to 2017. As department head, Sterling creates a positive and welcoming environment for students, staff and faculty.  She also reaches out across campus to encourage collaboration among departments.  She is currently leading a USDA grant aimed at integrating research and education to increase the participation of women in agriculture, preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders in Montana and bringing greater public awareness to the critical role of females in agriculture.

When I was interviewing at MSU and considering accepting a position here, it was inspiring to know that MSU could attract and retain a woman department head like Tracy Sterling.  I hold her in high regard and aspire to create a similarly positive and welcoming environment in my own department.