AMES, Iowa -- Five finalists have been named in the search for the next dean of the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University. They are:
- Donald Beermann, head of the animal science department at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln;
- Phyllis Johnson, Beltsville Area director for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville, Md.;
- Richard McConnell, senior adviser to DuPont and former president of Pioneer Hi-Bred;
- C. Channa Reddy, director of The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and head of the veterinary and biomedical sciences department at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park; and
- Wendy Wintersteen, interim dean of Iowa State's College of Agriculture and interim director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station.
"This is a rich pool of finalists, each of whom would bring strong experience and expertise to a key academic leadership position," noted Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Benjamin Allen. "The visits of these five distinguished candidates will allow the university community and its partners to engage in a series of conversations about the continued excellence of the College of Agriculture." Finalists will visit campus during the next couple of weeks. Each finalist will speak and answer questions at both an open forum and a diversity forum.
Open forums
The forums are from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium in Howe Hall. Forum dates are:
- Nov. 28: Donald Beermann
- Nov. 30: Phyllis Johnson
- Dec. 5: Wendy Wintersteen
- Dec. 7: Richard McConnell
- Dec. 8: C. Channa Reddy
The public also can participate in the open forums via computers with broadband Internet connections. (For details on how to participate in the forums online, see http://www.provost.iastate.edu/positions/open-forum.html.
Diversity forums
The forums are from 11 a.m. to noon. Diversity forum dates are:
- Nov. 29: Donald Beermann, Gold Room Memorial Union
- Dec. 1: Phyllis Johnson, Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall
- Dec. 6: Wendy Wintersteen, Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall
- Dec. 8: Richard McConnell, Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall
- Dec. 9: C. Channa Reddy, Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall
Following is more information about the finalists. (Their full vitae are online at http://www.provost.iastate.edu/positions/dean-interview.html.
Donald Beermann
Since 1999, Beermann has served as professor and head of the animal science department in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. For 21 years (1978-1999), he was a teacher and researcher at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Beermann joined Cornell as an assistant professor and was named professor in 1993.
Beermann received a B.S. in animal science (1971) from Iowa State. He received an M.S. (1974) in meat and animal science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He also received a Ph.D. (1976) from Wisconsin in joint majors -- muscle biology and human physiology.
Phyllis Johnson
Johnson has served as Beltsville Area director for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Beltsville, Md., since 1997. In 28 years with the ARS (1977-2005), she also has served as acting Beltsville area director; associate director of the Beltsville area; associate director and acting area director of the Pacific West Area; research leader for nutrition, biochemistry and metabolism in the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D.; and research chemist in the Grand Forks center.
Johnson received a B.S. in chemistry (1971) and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry (1976), both from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Richard McConnell
McConnell has been consulting as a senior adviser to DuPont since 2004. His career with crop genetics supplier Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont company, spans 30 years. He has served as Pioneer president and DuPont vice president (2000-2003), VP for research and development for DuPont's Ag and Nutrition Platform (1999-2000), senior VP for global research and development (1994-1999), and director of North American Research (1989-1994), as well as serving in several other positions.
McConnell received a B.S. in agronomy (1972) and an M.S. in plant breeding (1974), both from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, and a Ph.D. in plant breeding (1978) from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
C. Channa Reddy
Reddy has served as director of The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, since 2002. A distinguished professor, Reddy also has been head of the department of veterinary and biomedical sciences since 1999. In a 20-year career at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Reddy also has served as director of the Center for Mol Toxicol and Carcinogenesis and director of the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity graduate program (1996-1999), interim head of the veterinary and biomedical science department, and director of the pathobiology graduate program. He has also held several other positions.
Reddy received a B.S. and B.Ed. in chemistry and biology (1969) from National College (National Council of Educational Research and Training) in India; an M.S. in biochemistry (1971) from Mysore University, Mysore, India; and a Ph.D. in biochemistry (1975) from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Wendy Wintersteen
Since August 2005, Wintersteen has served as interim dean of Iowa State's College of Agriculture and interim director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. Prior to that, she was senior associate dean of the college and associate director of the experiment station (2000-2005). In other ISU positions (1979-2000), Wintersteen was entomology professor; director of extension to agriculture and natural resources; coordinator of pesticide management and pesticide applicator training programs; and extension associate in the entomology department and two extension area offices. Wintersteen served as acting national pesticide education program leader (1989-90) for the USDA-Extension Service in Washington, D.C.
Wintersteen earned a B.S. in crop protection (1978) from Kansas State University, Manhattan, and a Ph.D. in entomology (1988) from Iowa State University.
Iowa State's next dean of agriculture will succeed Catherine Woteki, who served as dean for three and half years. Woteki left Iowa in July 2005 to become global director of scientific affairs for national food company Mars Inc., McLean, Va.