The interim director for NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Academic Programs Office brings a wealth of experience and a solid dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration.

John J. Classen, professor and director of graduate programs in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, has been named interim associate director for CALS Academic Programs. The appointment took effect on July 1, 2024, and will last one year. 

“I greatly appreciate John stepping up to help us in the coming months,” Associate Dean and Director of CALS Academic Programs David Crouse says. 

Classen will support Crouse with assessing programs, functions, and roles specific to the associate director permanent position. 

Classen promotes success and well-being in graduate education, focusing on students’ professional and technical growth while advocating for mental health support. As a fellow of the North Carolina Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate — an NSF-funded initiative to foster the success of underrepresented doctoral students and their transition into faculty roles — he emphasizes comprehensive mentoring practices and encourages faculty to adopt them.

Understanding that technology adoption involves complex socio-technical systems, Classen highlights the importance of incorporating perspectives from a variety of stakeholders and disciplines into designing technologies, policies and processes. This emphasis also extends to academic programs. 

In his new role as interim associate director for CALS Academic Programs, Classen manages graduate programs, engages in strategic planning for interdisciplinary initiatives, and supports the associate dean and director of Academic Programs. He is committed to integrating interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches into undergraduate and graduate education.

“I’m excited to take on this new role and assist David and our dean to promote best academic practices and foster student collaborations and well-being,” Classen says.

Classen hails from New Orleans, Louisiana, and served five years in the U.S. Air Force before attending college. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Arkansas and a doctoral degree in agricultural engineering from Texas A&M University before joining NC State in 1995.