In the 1990s, Poston served as dean of CANR for about eight years.

“It’s exciting I get to return to the academic mission of the university, which is where I spent all of those years,” Poston said “My wife said, ‘It’s like going home,’ and you know, it really does feel like that.”

When Poston left the post in 1998, he was replaced in 2001 by Jeffrey Armstrong, who served for nine years and was succeeded by Douglas Buhler as interim dean in 2011.

Acting Provost June Youatt said the search to find a new permanent dean was tedious. When the university could not decide on the proper candidate, it turned to Poston, Youatt said.

“There were multiple candidates, but none of them were the best match for this college,” Youatt said. “In this state, the college has a responsibility to respond to stakeholders across the state as well to be an active player in international research in addition to preparing students. To find a dean who can manage those multiple tasks is not easy.”

Youatt said the college is at an advantage with Poston now in charge.

But after 14 years, Poston said the college he remembers has changed dramatically.

Under Armstrong and Buhler, plans to reconstruct parts of the college were put forth because of state budget cuts. There were cuts to the number of faculty members, MSU Extension was reconstructed and the other CANR academic programs were proposed to be reorganized.

Director of MSU Extension Tom Coon, who worked closely with Armstrong and Buhler during those changes, said the only programs that merged were the Crop and Soil Sciences Department and the Department of Plant Pathology, forming the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. Coon said these departments combined on their own account and the merge was not because of any financial struggles.

Poston said during his time as dean, he hopes to maintain the state of the college as one with deep roots in the history of MSU and the state of Michigan’s agricultural sphere. He said he does not foresee himself implementing any major changes within the college right now, but will check into each department and see where they are headed.

Environmental studies and agriscience freshman Sean Martin works at the Student Organic Farm and plans to pursue a career in agriculture after college. Although he had heard about Poston becoming the college’s new dean, he does not expect to see the effects directly. He said he feels the college is a proactive one.

For example, the Student Organic Farm provides the cafeterias with food and uses the food waste as fertilizer they can sell to the community. Martin said he is pleased with the interaction the college allows between the campus and the community.

“I feel like there are a lot of things to be involved within the agricultural programs and environmental programs,” Martin said.

At the December MSU Board of Trustees meeting, when Poston said his goodbye to the vice president position, many trustees and administrators wished him all the best and thanked him for his time as vice president.

For Poston, this transition is “bittersweet.” He is happy to return to the CANR, but said he is disappointed to leave the people and administrators he has worked closely with.

“Thank you for being a friend,” Trustee George Perles said to Poston at the meeting.

Youatt said the search for a new vice president of finance and operations is tentative. The state of the position has yet to be determined because the administrative unit will be reorganized in the future.