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Ļć½¶Ö±²„announces reorganization of DAFVM leadership structure

Ļć½¶Ö±²„announces reorganization of DAFVM leadership structure

Contact: Sid Salter

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Mississippi State Vice President for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Keith Coble and Ļć½¶Ö±²„Executive Vice President and Provost David R. Shaw on Thursday [April 8] announced changes in the organizational leadership structure of major components of the academic division.

ā€œIn evaluating the current and future leadership needs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Forest Resources (CFR), the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center (FWRC), it is clear that these vital entities require a different structure that provides greater focus and attention to mission,ā€ said Coble. ā€œMoving forward, both colleges deserve distinct leadership as do their affiliated research and service units. To that end, we are formally reorganizing the leadership structure to accommodate those needs.ā€

Shaw said that national searches were currently being organized to select a new Director of MAFES who will also serve as Dean of CALS, and to select a new Dean of CFR and Director of FWRC.

ā€œThese colleges support many of Mississippiā€™s bedrock agribusiness and forestry industries, so we want to be deliberate in this process. There is work to be done in organizing these search committees in the spirit of shared governance with our faculty and representation of our stakeholders on these committees. I anticipate that in the fall we will be able to be interviewing candidates for these two important positions,ā€ said Shaw. ā€œThis new leadership structure reflects Ļć½¶Ö±²„President Mark Keenumā€™s vision for the future of MSUā€™s agricultural and forestry units.ā€

ā€œThis search process for two vital positions will include a broad base of our faculty, clientele, students and staff and will proceed in keeping with established search protocols,ā€ said Coble. ā€œI have every confidence that Ļć½¶Ö±²„will attract a strong pool of candidates from across the nation who are interested in being a part of our universityā€™s momentum and growth, and I have equal confidence that our search committees will choose experienced and visionary leaders who can guide their respective DAFVM colleges and units.ā€

Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiā€™s leading university, available online at .