Jeff Armstrong is a big fan of MSU, but he’s looking forward to more than football games when he takes his new position on campus this fall.
Armstrong, head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University, has been appointed dean of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Armstrong said he enjoys watching college sports, but he’s inspired to take charge of a college that has plenty of its own successes.
“From a professional perspective, I’m excited about working with the many diverse departments in the college and learning so much about the state of Michigan,” he said.
The university’s Board of Trustees approved Armstrong’s appointment at its meeting Friday. Armstrong succeeds William Taylor, who has served as acting dean of the college since 1999.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is one of MSU’s largest colleges, with more than 3,500 students and 11 departments.
MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon said she recommended Armstrong to the board after receiving ratings for five finalists from the dean’s search committee.
“He began with having a very strong support base and I was just very impressed with his insight and the vision he’ll bring to agriculture and natural resources for the 21st century,” she said.
Kirk Heinze, chairman of the dean’s search committee, said the committee also noticed the importance of Armstrong’s perspective for the future.
“He had a broad vision for how both agriculture and natural resources could come together to solve some of Michigan’s agricultural and environmental problems,” he said.
“And it’s fair to say the primary focus for the college to do outreach is right here in our own state.”
Prior to his position at Purdue, Armstrong also worked at North Carolina State University as a professor of animal science and director of the Agricultural Institute in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“We thought that he was pretty strong in his research, teaching and outreach,” said Heinze, who is also chairman of Agriculture and Natural Resources Education and Communication Systems.
“It seemed like he really wanted this job and we felt he had the skills and leadership to do so.”
