Lorin and Kelsey Harvey embody hard work, gratitude, family and the land-grant mission.

“I’ve always admired how Lorin transforms a phone call from a grower into impactful, applied research,” Kelsey said.

Lorin echoed the sentiment, calling her work “the gold standard of research.”

Lorin, assistant professor in plant and soil sciences and Extension sweet potato specialist, leads research and extension efforts at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Station, advancing research for sweet potato growers. Kelsey, assistant professor of animal and dairy sciences, directs the MAFES Prairie Research Unit, serves as her department’s graduate coordinator and conducts essential research in beef cattle. Both are dedicated MSU scientists, passionate about supporting Mississippi’s producers.

The Harveys met as doctoral students at Texas A&M, bonding over a shared love of agriculture. They married on the 50-yard line at Kyle Field before moving to Mississippi to begin their careers as faculty in the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center.

“Agriculture has always been our shared passion,” said Des Moines, Iowa, native Lorin, who specialized in sorghum breeding for his Ph.D.

Kelsey, a native of Centralia, Washington, focused on beef cattle nutrition, with Lorin often lending a hand.

“Our research farms were next to each other, so he’d come help feed cows after his work so we could spend time together,” she recalled, adding how he once helped her herd cattle to safety through floodwaters after a tropical storm.

Now at MSU, their teamwork and work ethic remain strong—having developed globally recognized programs in their respective areas.

Combined, the Harveys have secured over $18 million in funding for sweet potato and beef cattle research since joining MSU in 2020, and they currently advise 17 graduate students in their two programs.  

Additionally, Kelsey, as graduate coordinator with support from department head Christy Bratcher, has restructured the online Master of Agriculture degree program for remote students—doubling enrollment in the last year.

Recently, the Harveys collaborated with the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center’s Jane Parish on creating sweet potato dog treats, blending their expertise for a unique product.

Reflecting on their four years at MSU, Kelsey and Lorin expressed gratitude for the MAFES research unit staff.

“It makes all the difference to have people you can rely on who are willing to teach you,” Kelsey said.

Lorin added, “Mississippi State University has really welcomed us with open arms, and I feel like we are part of the family.”