Change in Title for Dan Bernardo and Kim Kidwell
WSU President Elson Floyd has announced that Dan Bernardo’s title has been changed to Vice President for Agriculture and Extension. He will also retain the title of Dean of CAHNRS. Kim Kidwell’s title will change as well, from associate dean to executive associate dean for Academic Programs, making her the organizational leader in Dan’s absence.
This organizational model brings WSU in line with the majority of its land-grant peers in the United States. While not universal, having a vice president for agriculture and/or extension is the norm. It is a means of recognizing those areas’ critical importance to our land-grant mission and the position’s significant responsibilities in representing WSU to the public.
New Role for Ralph Cavalieri
Ralph Cavalieri, Director of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC) and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, will assume the role of Associate Vice President for Alternative Energy at Washington State University. This position will oversee and coordinate WSU’s internal and external interactions in areas that pertain to the production and use of non-traditional or alternative sources of energy.
CAHNRS will initiate a national search for a new director of the ARC immediately, with the goal of having a new Director on board by January 2013. Until then, Ralph will allocate approximately 20 percent of his time to assist with budget oversight and fiscal management of the ARC. Ralph will continue to serve as the ARC Director and WSU’s official USDA-appointed Agricultural Experiment Station Director during this period. Day-to-day operational issues (e.g., Hatch project reviews and reporting, multi-state travel, internal grant programs, access to the grant writing team) will be handled by Mike Kahn, Associate Director of the ARC.
New on the Dean’s Blog
Why We Are Raising $30 Million for Scholarships
Although it is almost impossible to imagine today, there was a time when Washington State University students could work full-time over the summer and pay for a year’s in-state tuition, books, and room and board. Obviously, that has not been the case for a good long while. In fact, most recent graduates leave the institution with a sizable debt load no matter how hard they work over the summer and during the school year.
The Campaign for Washington State gives us an opportunity to shore up and expand scholarship support. Our goal is ambitious. We want to raise $30 million during the course of the campaign to develop a comprehensive scholarship fund for the college. That fund will include traditional undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, internal and external internships and international internships. With laser focus, hard work and heartfelt commitment, we can – working together – reach that goal. Read more »
Summer Hours
With the academic year drawing to a close, it is time for managers to make plans for summer schedules. Washington State University’s business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. year round. WSU is committed to providing its full range of services during the normal business hours established for state offices, including the noon hour.
In keeping with a long-standing practice, WSU will observe a schedule known as “summer hours” for as many employees as possible, while still meeting the requirement to serve the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with 30 minutes for lunch, during the period from Monday, May 7 through Friday, August 10, 2012.
It is the responsibility of the supervisors and staff of each area to provide service to the public during the noon hour and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. during this period. Summer hours are approved at the department level.
Please contact Human Resource Services at 509-335-4521 if you have questions.
Dean’s Message on Web Integration Project
Dear Colleagues,
It has been three years since President Floyd initiated integration of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and WSU Extension. Thanks to the good work of many of you, we have made significant progress in enhancing external grant and contract awards and in streamlining our administrative organization, policies and procedures.
A critical next step in our journey to further integration has just begun. I have combined the web professionals who worked on the current Extension project with those in Marketing, News, and Educational Communications. Their charge is to ensure that our public face via the web reflects the integration we are working so hard to achieve. We want our stakeholders to be able to easily access our information regardless of whether it emanates from Extension or research.
Given the sheer scope of our organization, this may be one of the most complex steps in the integration process. However, I consider it a top priority. Please know that the web group has my full support. It is my expectation that each of you will work cooperatively with them as well.
Initially, the team’s immediate charge is limited to the integration of the CAHNRS, WSU Extension, CAHNRS Academic Programs, and other top-level college and Extension sites. I have asked them to create a dynamic, content-rich user experience that incorporates social media and video and that is mobile-device friendly.
Additional information about the project will be posted at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/web-integration-project-project-team-faq. Please direct any questions you have to team leader Brian Clark at brian.clark@wsu.edu.
Best regards,
Dan Bernardo
Vice President for Agriculture and Extension
Dean, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
Kudos
Professor Michael Neff of the department of Crop and Soil Sciences was given an Honors College Faculty Thesis Advisor of the Year Award for supervising Paul Froese’s Honors Thesis Project.
Department of Entomology Professor Carol Anelli was one of 40 individuals selected to participate in an intensive one-week course, “Evolutionary Foundations for Medicine and Public Health,” at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Maine. The course, which focuses on teaching strategies for applying core principles of evolutionary biology, will be taught by prominent researchers from the University of Michigan, Yale University, UCSF, NYU and Penn State University. Anelli plans to incorporate the pedagogy and principles into a new UCORE course, “Science in the Public Eye,” in spring 2013.
Karla Makus of the School of Economic Sciences was chosen to receive a Faculty Excellence Award from the Naval ROTC Battalion at the University of Idaho and Washington State University for her excellence in advising and mentoring, and demonstrated dedication to mentoring students.
School of Economic Sciences graduate student Miguel Henry has just accepted a position on the Research Faculty of the Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, where he will be responsible for conducting a program of rigorous applied econometrics research relating to healthcare issues, as well as collaborate with other department faculty on their research endeavors as appropriate and mutually beneficial.
Recent News Releases
Future for organic ag bright, in spite of market swings
Dozens of Undergraduate Researchers Involved in Study of Importance of Big Trees
WSU Scientist Pays It Forward with Agrotechnology Knowledge Sharing
New WSU Course Focuses on ‘Science on Your Plate’
Fundraiser, New Wheat Variety Honor Late WSU Graduate Student
WSU Extension’s Karen Barale Named Outstanding Dietitian of the Year
WSU Announces $5 Million Investment to Support Organic Ag, Model Farm
All our news releases are archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/news-archive/.
New in CAHNRS e-Newsletters
The April 25 issue of On Solid Ground features a story on Moore’s Law as it applies to genetics research and how the acceleration of high-throughput genetic analysis is a boon for plant breeders: http://bit.ly/osg20120425.
The May 2 issue of Green Times has articles on the recent Eggert Family gift to the organic farm and trends in the organic marketplace; a list of upcoming farm walks; and a research feature on riding the nitrogen cycle: http://bit.ly/IEr4Qd.
Archives
CAHNRS News is archived at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/category/cnews/.