William E. Puckett, Ph.D., Deputy Chief, Science and Technology

Updated 01/23/2008

Dr. William E. Puckett is the Deputy Chief for Science and Technology for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, DC. He entered this position in January 2008.

Dr. Puckett has held numerous positions with NRCS. Before coming on as Deputy Chief for Science and Technology, he served as Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment. He has has served as Director of NRCS’s East National Technology Support Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.

He began his career in 1983 as a field soil scientist in Florida. He became State Soil Scientist in Oklahoma in 1991, and two years later he was named Assistant State Conservationist for Operations in Oklahoma. In 1995, he moved into an Operations Management position in the South Central Region office in Ft. Worth, Texas. In 1997, he joined the Oversight and Evaluations staff in Atlanta, Georgia, and from 1999 to 2001 he served as a Major Land Resource Area Leader for soil survey in Auburn, Alabama. From 2001 to 2004, he served as Director of the Soil Quality Institute.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and a Master of Science degree in soil physics and mineralogy from Auburn University. He received a doctorate in soil genesis and classification from the University of Florida.

Dr. Puckett has received many awards throughout his career. They include the Berg Fellowship from the Soil and Water Conservation Society as well as accolades from Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Societies.