Terry Niblack Appointed Senior Associate Dean

A transition priority since my arrival has been to fully consider our CFAES Leadership Team and address open leadership positions. I just announced the launch of two national searches for the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education, and Associate Dean and Director, Academic Affairs. A few weeks ago, we announced the appointment of John Foltz, who will join us October 9 as the chair for Animal Sciences. Today, I am pleased to announce Terry Niblack has accepted the appointment of Senior Associate Dean effective October 1.

Terry has most recently served as interim Senior Associate Dean for CFAES. She received her BS and MS degrees from the University of Tennessee, and her PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Georgia. Following a two-year postdoc at Iowa State University, she joined the faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia as an Assistant Professor. She moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2001. In 2011, Terry joined CFAES in the Department of Plant Pathology to serve as Chair.

The Senior Associate Dean is primarily responsible for promoting and sustaining a culture that encourages professional development and advancement of faculty and staff, while embracing and promoting diversity and inclusion in their broadest meanings and supporting the development and implementation of the college’s strategic priorities and goals. Terry will work to enhance processes for faculty recruitment, onboarding, integration, retention, evaluation, and promotion; facilitate administrator searches and administrative appointments; and create and support workforce development and planning college-wide including professional development and career advancement opportunities for faculty and staff. Supervising the Directors of Human Resources and Equity & Inclusion, Terry will support all facets of human resources and equity and inclusion including serving as the college diversity advocate to help nurture cultural competency and an inclusive environment. She also will promote a climate of engagement and communication.

Terry brings considerable experience and a depth of understanding of CFAES, she has been an asset during our leadership transition, and I have great confidence in her leadership and direction. Please join me in thanking Terry for her service as interim and congratulating her on this appointment.

Cathann A. Kress, Ph.D.
Vice President of Agricultural Administration & Dean
The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
140 Ag Administration | 2120 Fyffe Road | Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-6164 Office
kress.98@osu.edu

Twitter: @cathannkress

 

World Food Day – Oct. 16

Ohio State is hosting “World Food Day: Inspired by Local” on Monday, Oct. 16 from 1 – 3 p.m. in the North Residence Green Space, to bring attention to the local and sustainable food choices in the dining facilities.  Students will be able to sample food from 15 food suppliers including Gerber Chicken, Dannon, DNO Produce, Waterman Farms, and many others.

Food Day Poster 

Click here for more details on the event.

Listening Sessions on Priorities in Research, Education, and Extension

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announces its stakeholder listening initiative “NIFA Listens: Investing in Science to Transform Lives.” This stakeholder listening opportunity informs the research, extension and education priorities of NIFA, which has the mission of investing in and advancing agricultural research, education and extension to solve societal challenges. These investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global pre-eminence of U.S. agriculture. This listening opportunity allows stakeholders to provide feedback on the following questions: “What is your top priority in food and agricultural research, extension or education that NIFA should address?” and “What are the most promising science opportunities for advancement of food and agricultural sciences?”

This effort to obtain input on NIFA’s science priorities will be carried out through online and in-person submission mechanisms. Stakeholder input received from the two mechanisms is treated equally. The priorities and opportunities obtained from this effort will be evaluated in conjunction with input from NIFA staff. This information will be critical for NIFA’s evaluation of existing science emphasis areas to identify investment opportunities and gaps in the current portfolio of programs. The information obtained through this iterative analysis and synthesis will help to ensure the strategic positioning and relevancy of NIFA’s investments in advancing agricultural research, education and extension.

Click here for more information about the listening sessions, dates and locations.

Open Enrollment for 2018 Benefits

Open Enrollment for 2018 benefits will be available November 1-14, 2017.

As a result of proactive plan management and positive health improvement for plan members, there are limited plan changes for 2018. In addition, medical plan contribution rates will decrease for many participants. The Open Enrollment website will go live later this week with more detail.

You can also read an overview at HR Connect.

Effective Interviewing Skills: Techniques for Successful Interviewing – Sept. 21

“Effective Interviewing Skills: Techniques for Successful Interviewing,” facilitated by Dr. Ana C. Berrios, Associate Director of Career Counseling and Support Services, Office of Student Life at The Ohio State University. This workshop will be an excellent professional (and personal) development opportunity. This will be a free event offered in both Columbus and Wooster.

DATE: Thursday, September 21, 2017

TIME: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Columbus – Kottman Hall Room 244 and video-linked to Wooster – Fisher Room 121

RSVP: Jane Douglas at douglas.170@osu.edu

Surviving an Active Shooter Training – Sept. 26

The CFAES Office of Academic Affairs is kicking off the academic year with an advisor development series. The purpose of the series is to equip advisors with the tools necessary to provide a successful advising experience for students.  Sessions are optional, although highly recommended. Faculty and staff are also invited to participate in the training sessions.

Register for the next session – Surviving an Active Shooter – on Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The training session will be in the International Room of the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center.

The session will prepare participants for an active shooter situation or aggressor situation.  Learn about the national “Run. Hide. Fight.” best practice.  Members of the OSU Police Department will be facilitating the training.

RSVP to miller.4325@osu.edu.

Click here for a list of upcoming sessions.

SmartAg4.0 – Sept. 29 and 30

Apps have done more than change our everyday lives, they have also transformed entire industries seemingly overnight. Uber has changed the way we commute; AirBnb has changed the way we find travel accommodations. Later this fall, students will have the chance to propose an app that will transform the future of food systems at SmartAg4.0.

SmartAg4.0 is a competition for Ohio college students who are passionate about food systems. While not a computer programming event, SmartAg4.0 models itself off of signature Ohio State events such as HackOHI/O in its spirit and structure. Over 24 hours, multi-disciplinary student teams work together to design an app and an accompanying business strategy to address major topics such as food safety and security, agricultural productivity, sustainability, and “the last mile.”

This year’s SmartAg4.0 competition will take place from September 29 through the 30. Students interested in learning more about the event can visit go.osu.edu/smartag4 or send an inquiry via email to smartag4@osu.edu.

Introduction to Food Essentials – Online Continuing Education Course

Ohio State’s Food Industries Center responds to the needs of the food industry with online continuing education.

The OSU Food Industries Center is launching a new online continuing education course called Introduction to Food Science Essentials. This 10 week online training will begin on October 2 and is designed for food industry professionals who are new to the industry or are looking to enhance their technical knowledge and have not received a formal education in the field of food science and technology.

“Many non-food scientists are working in the food industry – whether their background is chemistry, marketing, manufacturing, or microbiology. This course is designed specifically for them and can help fill knowledge gaps related to food quality, food components, food manufacturing, and food safety,” said the center’s director and lead instructor for the course, Dr. Valente Alvarez, who is also a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology. “After completing the program, participants will be able to immediately apply what they learned in their current positions.”

Introduction to Food Science Essentials is the first online course offered through the Food Industries Center, which hosts one to two in-person continuing education courses and workshops per month. Some course offerings meet regulatory requirements such as the FSPCA – Preventive Controls for Human Food Training, Introductory HACCP, or Better Process Control School; while other workshops provide hands-on technical training such as Cleaning and Sanitation Basics, Advanced CIP, Introduction to Dairy Processing and Management, or Dairy Lab for Improved Quality.

This continuing education course was developed based on requests that the center received from the food industry through feedback from other course participants and suggestions from its industry advisory board members.

“The industry is very supportive of our program,” Alvarez said, “and we do everything we can to support the industry. It’s a good relationship, and we’re always working to make it even better.”

Click here to learn more about this course or to register online.

For questions, contact: Heather Dean, Dean.840@osu.edu.

2018 Community Engagement Conference Call for Proposals

Proposals are now being accepted for Ohio State’s inaugural Community Engagement Conference, taking place January 24-25, 2018, in the Ohio Union. Building on the success of the OSU Extension Annual Conference and the university’s Engagement Forum, the conference will bring together faculty, staff, students and community partners to focus on professional development and networking, while exploring new potential engagement partnerships. The theme of this year’s conference is Partnering to Advance Health and Wellness. Proposals are due October 30, 2017.

Click here to submit a proposal and learn more about the event.

For questions, contact: lewis.485@osu.edu or morrison.332@osu.edu.

 

OSU Extension Events – New Event Planning Blog Launched

Ohio State University Extension’s event planner, Jared Morrison, is the go-to man for any event you need help with. To make sure he has everything he needs for an event, there are several things you need to know. Therefore, Jared now has a blog dedicated to planning any event you can imagine!

Click here to see his blog, get ideas, and leave suggestions for future posts! You also can access it from go.osu.edu/OSUEvents. Please contact Jared at Morrison.332@osu.edu or his intern, Jessy, at woodworth.50@osu.edu with any questions or suggestions.

Accelerator Awards – Applications Due Sept. 25

The Accelerator Awards program provides Ohio State researchers up to $100,000 to advance and further develop promising technologies and bring them closer to market. Concept development, prototyping, coding, market studies and customer validation efforts are eligible uses for this award. Ohio State researchers who have disclosed their inventions to the Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) are eligible for the award. Applications for this round of funding are due by 10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25.

Click here for more information.

Click here for the application.

Reminder: Minors Policy Registration Requirement

Ohio State is committed to providing quality programming for youth and promoting the safety and welfare of minors entrusted to the university’s care. As a reminder, Ohio State’s Activities and Programs with Minor Participants policy requires annual registration of programs and activities that involve minors. Registration should be completed 60 days before the activity or program begins.

Click here for more information.

Introduction to BioC Workshop

Introduction to BioC workshop is a two-day workshop Sept. 11 and 12, 2017, at the Biomedical Research Tower.

The goals of the workshop are to familiarize participants with common ways in which data, including genomic data, are explored and analyzed in R and provide participants with tools necessary for their own continued self-education.

Registration is free and open to all OSU students, faculty and staff.

BioC Workshop Flyer

Click here to register and for more information.