CDA Gets New Leadership

The Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA) announced several leadership changes, including the selection of John Reid as the new executive director.

Reid has been affiliated with CDA since 2022, serving as a strategic advisor on the agricultural machinery industry, preparing competitive grants aligned with the CDA mission and building foundational elements for an industry partner program. He brings more than 35 years of technology leadership experience in industry and academia, including time with the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), and the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“My vision for the CDA is to strategically expand our use-inspired research and catalyze the transition towards a circular bioeconomy through cutting-edge AI and digital ag technologies,” Reid said. “Simultaneously, we will establish robust industry partnerships and enhance education programs to cultivate a diverse and skilled workforce, ensuring CDA’s leadership in shaping the future of agriculture.”

Reid’s hiring is one of four leadership changes at CDA. Founding co-directors Vikram Adve and Matthew Hudson will continue to serve the center as scientific co-directors and Christina Tucker will add director of operations to her title as associate director of education.

Now five years old, the CDA is a collaboration between the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, ACES and Grainger Engineering. Its founding recognized the increasing interdependence of computer science, digital technologies and engineering with traditional agronomy, livestock management and workforce development.

To find out more about the CDA and its organizational future, please read its leadership announcement here.