Jane Dever, director of Clemson University’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center (REC) near Florence, South Carolina, has been inducted into the Cotton Research and Promotion Hall of Fame.
Dever, who is also a professor in the University’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and a prominent cotton breeder, was recognized for her significant contributions to cotton research, genetics and the industry’s growth. She is the second female to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ruth Benerito, a chemist who invented wrinkle-free cotton, was inducted in 2019.
“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Cotton Research and Promotion Hall of Fame,” Dever said. “This recognition means so much to me because it reflects years of collaboration, perseverance and passion for an industry that touches so many lives. I am grateful to my colleagues, students and the cotton growers who inspire me every day.
“Together, we’ve worked to make a difference, and this award is a reminder of what we can achieve when we share a common purpose.”
Dever joined Clemson University in April 2024 as director of the Pee Dee REC and professor of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Before that, she served as associate director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Lubbock Research and Extension Center and was a professor of plant breeding in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.
Dever is an American Society of Agronomy fellow, a Texas A&M Regents Service fellow and a recipient of the Cotton Genetics Research Award. She has also served on federal advisory councils for both the National Genetic Resources and the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research.
Past appointments include global cotton breeding manager for Bayer CropScience, senior research scientist at the cotton-biotechnology firm Biotex, textile engineer at the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, and head of materials evaluation for the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute at Texas Tech University.
A native of Lubbock County, Texas, Dever grew up on a cotton, wheat and grain sorghum farm. She holds a bachelor’s in textile engineering, a master’s in crop science and a doctorate in agronomy from Texas Tech University.
