David Longer, Retired Agronomy Professor, Water Scarcity Researcher, Passes Away

University Professor Emeritus and long-time U of A faculty member David Longer passed away in Fayetteville on March 13. He was 80.

Professor Longer was a faculty member and researcher in what was then the Department of Agronomy, now the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences.

Known for his enthusiasm and mentorship, he was the face of the department for undergraduate agronomy students for years.

"When I joined the U of A in 1993 as an assistant professor, Dave went out of his way to make me feel welcomed in the department," said Larry Purcell, who retired as a Distinguished Professor of crop physiology in 2024. "He and a couple of other faculty members regularly invited me to join them after work to socialize and to discuss teaching and research. At that time, I had little teaching experience, and I was asked to co-teach a class with Dave and another faculty member. That mentorship and friendship were key to making me welcome at the U of A and to become a better instructor. That same caring that Dave showed me was evident in the hundreds of students Dave advised throughout his career."

Outside the classroom, his research included a focus on water scarcity. He founded Transglobal Water Resources, developing prototypes capable of desalinating salt water and purifying polluted freshwater using renewable energy.

"When I joined the agronomy faculty in 1984, Dave greeted me with a warm handshake and broad smile," said Chuck West, retired professor. "We immediately collaborated on research, which greatly helped to jump-start my career. Since our retirements, Dave joined me and a few other Bumpers College retirees in regular coffee meetings, much to our benefit and enjoyment. My wife and I have warm memories of our friendship with the Longer family."

Longer joined the U of A faculty as a professor of agronomy in what became the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in 1980. Classes he taught included Introduction to Plant Sciences, Pest Management, Crop Science, Advanced Crop Science and labs. He was instrumental in creating a minor in Wildlife Habitat.

"Dave and I were on faculty together for 32 years," said Robert Bacon, retired professor and CSES department head. "He was a great colleague, always with a big smile and an encouraging word.  Whether it was talking agronomic research or Razorback football, he always had time for a colleague. But foremost, Dave was a dedicated and caring teacher. Carrying one of the heaviest teaching loads in the department, he touched the lives of hundreds of students. The impact he had on the next generation cannot be overestimated."

Before beginning his academic career, he served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, training solders in bomb defusal.

Longer served as co-director of the U of A Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, was inducted into the U of A Teaching Academy and earned the U of A System Division of Agriculture Jack Justus Award for Teaching Excellence, among other career highlights and honors.

"Dr. Longer was a beloved member of the CSES faculty," said Paul DeLaune, CSES department head. "He was easy to talk to, as he always greeted others with a smile and found a way to relate with each individual he encountered in a unique way."

He earned his bachelor's degree from Ball State University and his master's and Ph.D. in agronomy from Purdue University.

A member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, he is survived by his wife, Elaine, and daughter, Gretchen. He was preceded in death by his son, Eric.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

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