Dr. Jimmy Cheek is chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a top public research university. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee in 2009, he served as the senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida, Gainesville, United States. His 34-year career at Florida included positions as dean and assistant dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Cheek serves on the Nomination Committee of the IFDC board. In addition to his responsibilities on the IFDC board of directors, Cheek is the chairman of the board of advisors for the Virtual Fertilizer Research Center (VFRC), an innovative global research initiative established under the auspices of IFDC. The VFRC is helping to develop and commercialize research into the ‘next generation’ of cleaner, environmentally sustainable, cost-effective and renewable fertilizers and fertilizer technologies. The author of more than 80 journal articles, Cheek’s research has focused on education and learning. He is a fellow of the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture and the American Association for Agricultural Education. He has received several education awards, including Teacher of the Year for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida. Cheek holds a doctorate in interdisciplinary education from Texas A&M, United States. He also received a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M and a master’s degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.