Ag-based Institute Established at Auburn University
Auburn University President Ed Richardson received approval to begin the formation of a new institute for agriculture and natural resources at the annual meeting of the AU Board of Trustees in June.
Since that time Richardson has been conducting an internal search for a vice president of the institute, which is currently being called the Institute for Natural Rsources. Candidates include Richard Brinker, dean of the AU School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences (SFWS); Richard Guthrie, CoAg dean and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) director; and Gaines Smith, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Before recommending the Institute's formation to the AU trustees, Richardson consulted with internal and external constituents, including deans, administrators, faculty, the AU Provost, leaders of state associations and others over the course of nearly two years.
The institute will combine several agricultural and natural resource research, outreach and academic units under one umbrella and will establish a new vice presidential position at Auburn. Reporting to the new vice president will be the CoAg and SFWS deans, the AAES and Extension System directors, the director of the Auburn University Environmental Institute and administrators of a newly formed institute focusing on alternative energy.
"This Initiative for Alabama will permit the University to better serve communities and better position Auburn University to effectively and efficiently respond to challenges faced by the state and nation in terms of meeting our agricultural and natural resource needs," Richardson says. He adds that the move was also in line with peer institutions that already have such an institute in place.
Once on board, the new vice president will make further recommendations for organizing the institute.
As of press time for this issue of Ag Illustrated, no decision had been made on the selection of the vice president. More details on the Institute and its leadership will be available in the winter issue.