BLACKSBURG, Va., Jan. 7, 2004 – Virginia Tech has organized two search committees that have commenced national and international searches for a dean for the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) and a dean for the College of Natural Resources.
New deans will replace Peter Eyre, who served as dean of veterinary medicine and resigned in October 2003 for health reasons, and Gregory N. Brown, founding dean of natural resources, who announced recently that he will retire at the end of June 2004.
Provost Mark McNamee has named James Bohland, executive director of Virginia Tech Northern Virginia Operations and Senior Fellow for Biomedical and Health Projects, to chair the search committee for the veterinary medicine dean and Sharron Quisenberry, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, to head the search committee for the natural resources dean.
Applicants for the dean of veterinary medicine should have earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or equivalent plus an advanced degree and/or board certification and a distinguished record of scholarly activity that would qualify for appointment at the rank of professor as well as demonstrated successful leadership in clinical medical education. It is preferred that they have the ability to enhance existing programs and have demonstrated administrative experience.
Applicants for the dean of natural resources should have earned a doctorate and have a distinguished record of scholarly activity that would qualify for appointment at the rank of professor, and it is preferred that they have a record of effective leadership in higher education.
Applicants for both positions should have demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to work effectively in collaboration with many constituencies, and experience in leading or managing major research programs. The university prefers that applicants for both positions have demonstrated commitment to the land-grant university tripartite mission of instruction, research, and outreach/Extension; the ability to advance the research agenda of the university; a record of accomplishment in all issues of diversity; and successful experience in fund-raising and development activities.
A review of applications for the dean of veterinary medicine begins on Feb. 16, while the review of applications for the dean of natural resources commences on Jan. 23. The review of credentials for each position will continue until the position is filled.
Nominations and inquiries for the dean of veterinary medicine should be sent electronically to Dr. James Bohland, Search Committee Chair and Senior Fellow, c/o renearm@vt.edu. Those for the dean of natural resources should go electronically to Dr. Sharron Quisenberry, Search Committee Chair and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, c/o renearm@vt.edu.
Members of the search committee for the dean of veterinary medicine include the following people from Virginia Tech: Bohland; Virginia Buechner-Maxwell, associate professor of large animal internal medicine; James T. Custis III, president of the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and a third-year veterinary medicine student; Marion F. Ehrich, professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology; Martin Furr, associate professor of medicine; Karen Inzana, professor of small animal clinical sciences; Brian Love, associate professor of materials science and engineering; X. J. Meng, associate professor of molecular virology; Beverly Purswell, professor of theriogenology; Peter K. Shires, professor of surgery; Carolyn Sink, supervisor of clinical laboratory services; Phil Sponenberg, professor of pathology and genetics; and Greg Troy, department head, small animal clinical sciences. Off-campus members of the committee are Dr. Perry Crowl, past president of the Maryland Veterinary Association; Dr. Steve Escobar, president-elect of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association; Dr. Mark Finkler, member of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association; Siba Samal, associate dean of VMRCVM at the University of Maryland; and Dr. William D. Tyrrell Jr., Tech alumnus and veterinary cardiologist in Vienna, Va.
Members of the search committee for the dean of natural resources are Quisenberry; Arlice Banks, executive secretary, College of Natural Resources; Hannibal Bolton, chief, Division of Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Harold Burkhart, University Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Forestry; Jim Campbell, professor of geography; Carolyn Copenheaver, assistant professor of forestry; John Galbraith, assistant professor of crop and soil environmental sciences; Eric Hallerman, professor of fisheries and wildlife sciences; Fred Kamke, a professor at the Brooks Forest Products Center; Richard C. Rich, professor of political science, government, and international affairs and director of the Center for Environmental and Energy Studies; Stephen A. Smith, professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology; and Jan van Aardt, Ph.D. candidate in forestry.
David R. Ford, vice provost for academic affairs, is providing support services to both search committees.