Gene Younts

Gene Younts served as vice president for public service and outreach at the University of Georgia from 1972 to 2000. His major responsibilities included coordinating the far-reaching academic public service and outreach programs of the university which included international activities. His academic concentration and research activities have been in the areas of plant nutrition, soil chemistry, plant physiology, and educational administration.

Younts received the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from North Carolina State University majoring in agricultural science and agronomy, respectively. He earned the Ph. D. in soil chemistry from Cornell University.

During his early career, he served as a teacher and researcher at the University of Maryland and North Carolina State University. He and his family moved from Raleigh, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia in 1964 where he served as vice president of the American Potash Institute for over five years. His responsibilities included directing programs in 15 southern states and all of Latin America. From there he went to the University of Georgia as associate dean of the college of agriculture and later became vice president for services (now public service and outreach) of the university.

Younts retired as vice president in January 2000 and remained at the university for another 15 months during which time he began the research and writing of J. W. Fanning's biography. The book, J. W. - Alive As Long As He Lived, was published in August 2002.

Currently, he holds the title of vice president emeritus and distinguished public service scholar. His continues writing with a book about Cuba, Hola Cuba, published in November 2004. The book presents a story of Cuba supported with photographs to illustrate people, places, and things in the early 21st century. Currently, he is writing another book on his early life in North Carolina titled, We Are What We Were. In addition, he is active in civic affairs with membership in the Athens Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Metro Group of Atlanta, serving as chair of the state government relations task force.

Other than writing, hobbies include photography, making golf clubs, and gardening, languages, playing golf, and traveling. During his career, he consulted and visited more than 80 countries. He and his wife, Ruth, have two children, Leslie and Greg, both of whom live and work in the Atlanta area.