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Bonnie Johnson
June 12, 2026
Media ArticleTexas Tech University agricultural scientist and administrator Noureddine Abidi has been selected as a Council on Research Leadership Fellow by the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities (APLU), becoming the first faculty member from Texas Tech to receive the prestigious appointment.
The fellowship recognizes promising research leaders from public and land-grant universities across North America and provides advanced leadership development in research administration.
Abidi will be officially introduced during the 2026 Council on Research (COR) Summer Meeting in Boulder, Colorado, where fellows will participate in leadership training, peer mentoring, and discussions on national research policy.
“Strong research universities need strong research leaders,” said COR Chair Rob Rutenbar. “This fellowship helps prepare new leaders for their complex, important roles.”
“My participation in the COR Research Leader Fellowship Program will help me develop knowledge and skills in multiple areas relevant to leading and supporting a complex research enterprise,” Abidi said. “One key component of success in research leadership is peer mentoring and networking across peer institutions.”
Texas Tech leaders praised the appointment as a reflection of both Abidi’s accomplishments and the university’s expanding research profile.
“The COR Fellowship goals -- to develop knowledge and skills for leading institutional research agendas, provide broad exposure to leadership training and peer mentoring, and contribute new practices that advance APLU priorities -- map precisely to Dr. Abidi’s professional aims and Texas Tech’s institutional needs,” said Clint Krehbiel, dean of the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.
Currently serving as associate dean for research, Abidi also leads the Fiber & Biopolymer Research Institute and previously served as interim associate vice president for research and innovation.
Since joining Texas Tech in 1999, Abidi has built an impressive research portfolio focused on cotton fibers, sustainable biomaterials, and agricultural biotechnology.
Abidi’s achievements include more than $22 million in research funding, 183 peer-reviewed publications, and multiple patented innovations, reinforcing his impact on agricultural science and technology commercialization.
Photo by: depts.ttu.edu
