Search committee formed to find next IANR leader

University of Nebraska-Lincoln agronomy and horticulture professor Stephen Baenziger and Roger Wehrbein, vice-president of the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska, will co-chair the search advisory committee for the position of Vice President and Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL.

Baenziger and Wehrbein will lead 16 other individuals representing Nebraska agricultural sectors; university faculty, staff and students; and other constituents interested in seeking and forwarding input from others knowledgeable about qualities necessary in the next leader of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman said the committee will begin the search process and be seeking input from those who might know of potential candidates. "I appreciate the willingness of the search committee members to devote themselves to this critical search for the next leader of the institute," Perlman said. "That position will play a significant role in determining the success of Nebraska agriculture and the university."

Perlman thanked and congratulated John Owens, outgoing vice chancellor for IANR, for his service and leadership at UNL. Owens, who is Harlan vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will step down into faculty ranks June 30. Owens has been vice chancellor since January 2001. He also serves as the University of Nebraska's vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

"The vision and strategies of IANR are critical not only to the future of the university, but also to our state," University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken said. "I am excited about this opportunity to build on the success of a long line of accomplished IANR leadership."

Members of the Search Advisory Committee for the Vice Chancellor for IANR:

* Stephen Baenziger, Professor, Agronomy and Horticulture, Search Committee Co-chair
* Roger Wehrbein, Vice President, Ag Builders, Search Committee Co-chair
* Don Adams, Director, West Central Research and Extension Center
* Linda Arnold, Office of the Vice Chancellor, IANR
* Homer Buell, Past President, Nebraska Cattlemen's Association
* Megan Collins, ASUN President and student representative
* Roberto Cortinas, Assistant Professor, ISU/UNL Coop Veterinary Medical Education Program
* Stephanie Davis, IANR graduate student representative
* Galen Erickson, Associate Professor, Animal Science
* Rod Gangwish, Rod Gangwish Farms
* Mark Gustafson, Coordinator, Nebraska Rural Initiative
* Keith Olsen, President, Nebraska Farm Bureau
* Helen Raikes, Professor, Child, Youth and Family Studies
* Melanie Simpson, Associate Professor, Biochemistry
* Larry Harshman, Professor, School of Biological Sciences
* Reddi Thippareddi, Associate Professor, Food Science and Technology
* Jim Van Etten, Professor, Plant Pathology
* Don Wilhite, Director, School of Natural Resources