Candidates for agriculture v.p. to be interviewed this month

Campus interviews have been scheduled in May with three initial candidates for vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine, according to search committee chair George Rent.

The candidates and their interview dates are:

• Dr. Ronald A. Brown, director of the Mississippi State Extension Service, May 17-18.

• Dr. John C. Nye, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension Service, and Water Resources Center at the University of Delaware, May 24-25.

• Dr. John C. Owens, interim executive vice president at New Mexico State University, May 26-27.

The next vice president will succeed Dr. Rodney Foil, who earlier this year announced plans to retire on June 30 after 13 years as vice president and 30 years with the university.

Brown has been director of the MSU Extension Service since 1996. He was associate vice president of the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine from 1989 to 1996 and previously was director of the Office of International Programs.

Brown received bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural education at Mississippi State and a doctorate in the same field from the University of Illinois in 1974.

Nye has headed the agriculture division at Delaware since 1991. He previously was head of the biological and agricultural engineering department at Louisiana State University from 1984 to 1991.

Nye received a bachelor's degree from Kansas State University and master's and doctoral degrees from Purdue University. All three degrees are in agricultural engineering.

Owens has been the interim chief academic officer at New Mexico State since 1997. Previously, he was dean and chief administrative officer of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, the Cooperative Extension Service, and the Agricultural Experiment Station at New Mexico State.

Owens received a bachelor's degree in biology from West Texas State University and master's and doctoral degrees in entomology from Texas Tech and Iowa State universities.

Each candidate tentatively is scheduled to meet with members of the general faculty at 3:30 p.m. on the first day of his visit, in addition to sessions with administrative, faculty and staff groups.