Applications and nominations are invited for outstanding candidates for the position of chair of the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University. The new chair will be uniquely positioned to build on the strengths of the department and will drive the department forward towards its mission of scholarship, education, and dissemination of knowledge through application of economic principles to society’s challenges in agriculture, the food system, the environment, and economic development.

The Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University provides world-class teaching, research and outreach in applied economics, with concentrations in the areas of agricultural economics and agribusiness, environmental and resource economics, international and development economics, and regional and urban economics. The department has 19 tenured and tenure-track faculty and a dedicated group of 9 program staff personnel.  The department offers academic programs leading to a B.S. degree in Agribusiness and Applied Economics; a B.S. degree in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability; a Masters of Applied Economics (MAE); and a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics. The faculty produce nationally and internationally renowned programs to fulfill its land grant university missions in teaching, research, and extension education.

Responsibilities: The department chair is responsible for leadership, strategic planning, finances, administration, academic affairs, and external relations of the department. The chair will be committed to enhancing the education, research, and service missions and will possess an exceptional scholarly record, leadership skills, and strategic capacity to advance the department.

Responsibilities include oversight of personnel including performance reviews, administration of merit pay increases, development of workload assignments, and management of budgets and facilities. The chair may also carry on instructional, research, and outreach activities commensurate with his/her administrative responsibilities. The chair is responsible for establishment and maintenance of a financial and operational environment that is focused on appropriate internal controls. This should include, but not be limited to, appropriate segregation of duties in the processing of financial transactions, appropriate mandatory approvals, appropriate procedures to maintain effective custody over university resources, appropriate monitoring and oversight, and appropriate mandatory reconciliations. The chair reports to the Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Qualifications: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in agricultural economics, economics, or a related area, and must have distinguished academic credentials and eligibility for appointment to the rank of professor with tenure in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University. The applicant must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and should have a proven record of using sound judgment in identifying, prioritizing, and solving organizational problems in an academic or related setting; as well as experience working with industry to drive ongoing communication and partnerships. Additional essential qualifications include successful administrative experience, the ability to effectively engage a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Salary:  Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Application Procedure: Review of applications will begin September 1, 2018, and continue until a qualified candidate is identified. Nominations and applications from qualified individuals are invited at any time.  Qualified applicants are requested to submit the following: letter of application; statement of the applicant’s vision and administrative philosophy; leadership experiences and qualifications; a one-page statement of philosophy and perspective related to inclusion and diversity, and how they can help us achieve our goals related to diversity and the mentoring of underrepresented groups; and curriculum vitae including names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of five references. Initial nominations and inquiries will be kept confidential; references will be contacted only upon approval of the applicant.

Application materials should be sent electronically (PDF format) to Mary Roberts.

Questions should be directed to:

Dr. John C. Foltz
Chair of the Search Committee
Chair of the Department of Animal Sciences
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
The Ohio State University
110B Animal Sciences Building
2029 Fyffe Road
Columbus, OH 43210
Telephone: 614-292-1242
Email: foltz.75@osu.edu

The Ohio State University is committed to establishing a culturally and intellectually diverse environment, and encouraging all members of our learning community to reach their full potential. We are responsive to dual-career families and strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. We are an NSF Advance Institution and a member of the Ohio/Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Higher Education Recruitment Consortium.

The Future of Waterman Task Force wants to thank everyone who has participated in listening sessions so far, and encourages faculty, staff, and students to continue to provide input.

The task force is charged with leading efforts to develop a comprehensive vision for Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory, a physical master plan (working with our partners in Physical Planning and Real Estate), and a proposed governance structure.

So far, more than 100 faculty, staff, and students have shared more than 5,000 pieces of input during five internal listening sessions.

If you weren’t able to attend a listening session, the task force will be gathering input through May 11 and encourages you to participate in one of these ways:

• Reach out to a current task force member with your thoughts
• Send an email to John Foltz or Graham Cochran, co-chairs of the task force, with your thoughts
• Join us at our Wooster listening session, May 10, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Skou Hall 206. Click here to register.

The team needs to hear from you quickly, because they will be using the information to work towards a vision during a May 16 meeting.

Besides the listening sessions with faculty, staff, and students, listening sessions with Waterman residents and with commodity groups were held.

Additional one-on-one interviews are underway with other stakeholders. The task force has divided into three subgroups, each charged to gather input from specific audiences. Group A is working with industry, donors, and producers; Group B with the media, government, and the local neighborhood; and Group C with students, the college, and the university.

Previously, reserving many of the CFAES instructional, meeting, and university general assignment spaces on the Columbus Midwest campus was completed via submission of a fillable PDF form, which was emailed to cfaes_spacerequest@osu.edu. This process is being upgraded to a new online electronic form!

What’s New
Beginning Tuesday, May 1, 2018, the Academic Programs Office for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment will no longer accept submissions of the fillable PDF space request form for CFAES instructional, meeting, and university general assignment spaces on the Columbus Midwest campus. Instead, an online form is to be submitted for these reservation requests.

The Office for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment has also been assigned the responsibility for processing reservation requests for the Agricultural Administration Building Auditorium.

Request to Reserve Space
Here is an overview of how CFAES instructional, meeting, and general assignment spaces on the Columbus Midwest campus, and/or the Agricultural Administration Building Auditorium may be requested:

• All of the information previously required on the fillable PDF space request form will be required for the online Space Reservation Request form.
• The online Space Reservation Request form for CFAES instructional, meeting, and university general assignment spaces on the Columbus Midwest campus must be submitted at least 10 business days prior to your event.
• The online Space Reservation Request form for the Agricultural Administration Building Auditorium must be submitted at least 15 business days prior to your event.
• Once the Academic Programs Office for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment receives your Space Reservation Request form, the team will verify the availability of the space for your requested dates and times. You will be notified if there is a conflict, otherwise the team will proceed with the steps for processing and approving your reservation in the system, and sending an email confirmation once the reservation is completed.

Click here to access the new online Space Reservation Request form.

If you would like to know more about the spaces you may request to reserve, click here for the Instructional and Meeting Spaces list.

The recent surge of warmer weather has many reminded that spring is right around the corner. But with the arrival of spring can come a number of chores, especially when it comes to maintaining your lawn. Luckily, the Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) Club and Construction System Management (CSM) Club are here to make sure your push mower is in peak condition for the long mowing season ahead.

The ASM and CSM Clubs join together annually to hold their Lawn Mower Clinic to provide preventative maintenance to owner’s push lawnmowers. Starting Wednesday, February 28, owners can drop off their push lawn mowers at the Agricultural Engineering Building Courtyard. Then, over the weekend, students will work on your mower to change its oil, replace the spark plug, clean under the mower deck, and sharpen the blades, all for only $40. Mowers will be available for pick-up on Monday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 6.

Not only will this service help your mower stay running strong, but this fundraiser helps support the ASM and CSM student clubs.

“The ASM/CSM Spring Lawn Mower Clinic is one of the most important fundraising activities for these two student organizations,” said Dr. Dewey Mann, ASM program Lecturer and Advisor of the ASM Club. “As a student lead effort, they enjoy providing a service to the Ohio State community, and being able to fund club activities. These funds will support student trips to professional conferences, service activities, and social events for our members.”

To learn more about Lawn Mower Clinic, and to see if your mower is eligible, click here.

For additional information, contact Ross Schroeder, Schroeder.755@osu.edu

Dr. Rodney F. Plimpton was an unusually exuberant, dynamic teacher during his career at The Ohio State University.  From the time he entered Ohio State in 1959, he served as an effective teaching and research assistant.  During his faculty tenure from 1965 until his untimely death in 1987, he was twice honored as recipient of the University Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award.  The tremendous number of undergraduate students who sought him as an academic advisor provides clear evidence of his extremely effective relationship with students.  He was major advisor to 26 graduate students and highly respected nationally as a speaker and public writer on meat science and teaching.  The American Meat Science Association Distinguished Teaching Award was bestowed on him in 1978.  Dr. Plimpton serviced on the University Senate and vigorously contributed challenging ideas and wisdom to numerous committees and projects.  He spent his entire career at The Ohio State University devoting his time and tremendous energy to enabling his students to become the best that they could be.  Dr. Plimpton was an excellent example of the criteria to receive this outstanding teaching award.

Purpose
The Rodney F. Plimpton Outstanding Teacher Award is intended to recognize and encourage CFAES faculty members with the rank of assistant or associate professor who exemplify excellence in and commitment to teaching.  No more than two awards will be presented.  Each award includes a plaque, $500 for the recipient and $500 for the home department/school to enhance its teaching program.

Eligibility
Individuals who are considered outstanding teachers by their peers, professional associates, administrators, graduate and undergraduate students.  Nominations are encouraged to seek information from the nominee.

• No more than two awards will be given.  To be considered, a faculty member must have the rank of assistant or associate professor only.
• Nominees must not have received this teaching award during the past five years.

Criteria

• The teacher demonstrates the ability to motivate students in the learning process and stimulates strong interest in the subject matter.
• The teacher effectively uses a variety of materials and methods appropriate to the subject matter, establishes clear learning objectives and presents subject matter in an organized manner.
• The teacher maintains a thorough, up-to-date and futuristic knowledge of subject matter, applies principles of science in evaluating information, and strives for objectivity and intellectual honesty.
• The teacher is innovative, constantly seeks to improve quality of teaching/learning situation, and helps students to reflect upon relevancy of information and to project ideas into new areas and into the solution of problems.
• The teacher has contributed to teaching excellence, assessment and/or curriculum development through participation in departmental, college or university initiatives and/or committees.

Nomination
The nomination is to be completed by the nominee’s department.  Assistance by the nominee is encouraged to ensure the form is as complete as possible.  Only those documentation materials requested should be added.  Do not exceed space limitations nor submit materials not requested.

General Information

• Name of nominee
• Title or rank
• Department/academic unit
• Include a copy of current vita
• Courses taught – include information dealing with number of sections, types of courses, and number of students taught per term over the previous two academic years
• List any other teaching situations in addition to regular courses which should be considered, including student advising (1 page maximum)

Award Criteria – (Limit supporting evidence to only one page per notation)

• Student Motivation – The teacher demonstrates the ability to motivate students in the learning process and stimulates strong interest in the subject matter.
• Teaching Effort – The teacher effectively uses a variety of materials and methods appropriate to the subject matter, establishes clear learning objectives and presents subject matter in an organized manner.
• Scholarly Role Model – The teacher maintains a thorough, up-to-date and futuristic knowledge of subject matter, applies principles of science in evaluating information, and strives for objectivity and intellectual honesty.
• Innovation – The teacher is innovative, constantly seeks to improve quality of the teaching/learning situation, and helps students to reflect upon relevancy of information and to project ideas into new areas and into the solution of problems.
• Service of Teaching – The teacher has contributed to teaching excellence, assessment, and/or curriculum development through participation in departmental, college or university initiatives and/or committees.
• Additional Attachments – Materials, which may be included, should be limited to these items only:

1. Student evaluations for courses taught this past year; SEI preferred, with college and  university comparative means and/or peer evaluations of instruction.
2. Listing of prior awards/recognition for teaching and advising.

Submission
Please submit nomination by Monday, March 26 electronically to Carol Poe at poe.4@osu.edu or deliver to 100 Agricultural Administration Building, 2120 Fyffe Road, Columbus, OH 43210; 614-688-5612.

As part of a School of Environment and Natural Resources senior capstone project, students are developing a Landscape Restoration plan for the area to the north and west of Kottman and Plumb Halls. The plan is to redesign the landscape to provide a greater array of ecosystem services including research, teaching, and recreation/relaxation opportunities while linking the project with the Campus Sustainability goals and SENR’s 50th anniversary.

The students are interested in surveying the opinions of CFAES faculty and staff. Click here to complete the survey.