Search Underway for Next CALS Dean

Provost Warwick Arden announced Wednesday, Oct. 26, that an open search for the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is underway. 

The nomination committee is chaired by Steve Lommel, associate dean and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Entomology and Plant Pathology.

Other committee members each represent a group of college constituents including faculty from each department, department heads, administration, NC State Extension, EHRA non-faculty staff, SHRA staff, students and the NC Agricultural Foundation, as well as representatives from external stakeholder groups. 

List of Committee members:

• David Herring, Member, NC State Board of Trustees
• Kimberly Ange-van Heugten, Associate Teaching Professor, Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Rodolphe Barrangou, Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• JoAnn Burkholder, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, Applied Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Ben Chapman, Head and Professor, Agricultural and Human Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Lawrence Davenport, Vice President, Davenport Farms
• Mike Elder, Head of Business Relations and Business Development (Retired), Novozymes, and Member, NC State Board of Visitors
• Tyrone Fisher, Interim North Center District Extension Director, NC State Extension
• Michelle Grainger, Executive Director, NC Sweet Potato Commission
• Shawn Harding, President, NC Farm Bureau Federation
• Brian Jackson, Professor, Horticultural Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Sarah Kirby, Assistant Director, NC State Extension, and Professor, Agricultural and Human Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Terri Long, Associate Professor, Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Paul Mozdziak , Professor, Prestage Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Sonia Murphy, President, NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc., and Assistant Dean for Advancement, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Echo Pan, Graduate Student, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Adrian Percy, Executive Director, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative
• Bliss Pointer, Undergraduate Student, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Joe Sagues, Assistant Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Melanie Simpson, Head and Professor, Molecular and Structural Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Sandy Stewart , Assistant Commissioner, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Julianne Treme, Associate Teaching Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Rachel Vann, Assistant Professor, Crop and Soil Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Sara Villani, Assistant Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Xiaoqiu Wang, Assistant Professor, Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Karen Zika, Chair, State Advisory Council, NC State Extension

Buffkin/Baker search firm will manage recruiting for this search. Executive Search Services in NC State’s Human Resources division will be working alongside Buffkin/Baker to manage the logistics of the search. Kelly Wick will be managing the search for the Provost’s Office.

The nomination committee will hold its first meeting Nov. 11 and will continue to work during the fall and spring semesters. Finalist candidate interviews and open forums will be held in early spring. Stay up to date on the search by visiting the search page on the Provost’s Office website or go.ncsu.edu/cals-search.