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K-State Today

December 19, 2011

Finalists named for dean of the College of Agriculture/director of K-State Research and Extension

Submitted by Mike Holen

Four finalists will be interviewed for the position of dean of Kansas State University's College of Agriculture/director of K-State Research and Extension.

Mike Holen, dean of K-State's College of Education and chair of the search committee, said the finalists are: John Floros, professor and head of the department of food science at Pennsylvania State University; Charles Hibberd, associate vice provost for Purdue Engagement, associate dean of Purdue Agriculture, and director of Purdue Extension at Purdue University; Gary Pierzynski, interim dean/director of the College of Agriculture and Research and Extension at Kansas State University; and Geoff Dahl, professor and chair of the department of animal sciences at the University of Florida.

"Because of K-State's international reputation as a leader in extension and the food and agricultural sciences, interest in this position was quite high," Holen said. "The search committee believes these four candidates stood out and have the necessary qualifications and experience for this key position at K-State."

April Mason, provost and senior vice president, said she appreciated the widespread interest by K-State constituents in this particular search and has provided time in each schedule for their participation.

"We look forward to engaging stakeholders from across the state in this interview process," Mason said. "It is vital to the state’s and nation’s agricultural viability to get the best leadership in this very influential position."

Each finalist will visit K-State's main campus for a two-day interview process. Each candidate also will take part in an open seminar from 2-3:45 p.m. in the K-State Alumni Center Ballroom. K-State students, faculty and staff and the general public are welcome to attend.

"Each candidate has been asked to discuss how they view the role of K-State's College of Agriculture and Research and Extension in fulfilling the goals of the K-State 2025 Visionary Plan," Holen said. "They are also expected to share how their expertise and leadership can fit into the multiple facets of this position."

The schedule of candidates will be:

  • Floros, interviewing Jan. 17-18, with a seminar Tuesday, Jan. 17.
  • Hibberd, interviewing Jan. 19-20, with a seminar Thursday, Jan. 19.
  • Pierzynski, interviewing Jan. 23-24, with a seminar Monday, Jan. 23.
  • Dahl, interviewing Jan. 24-25, with a seminar Tuesday, Jan. 24.

View a full schedule for each candidate and curricula vitae online.

The public seminars will be videostreamed and archived for viewing at the above website for 48 hours following each seminar. In order to receive input from our constituents, online feedback forms will be available for each candidate beginning with the start of their individual interview schedules and closing at the time their seminar is removed from the website. This is so that candidates are evaluated based on their individual attributes and not through a comparison to the other candidates. K-Staters participating via video may e-mail questions to suzy@k-state.edu during the question-and-answer portion of the seminar and they will be asked.

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