Lincoln (Neb.) - Aug 30, 2000 - Two candidates will have on-campus interviews for the position of vice president and vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska.
Harvey Perlman, interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the candidates are Scott Hutchins of Carmel, Ind., global leader for Product Development Project Management and Six Sigma Productivity Projects at Dow AgroSciences; and John C. Owens, executive vice president and chief academic officer at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
Perlman said dates for the on-campus interviews have not been set. The university seeks a replacement for Irv Omtvedt, who retired in June. Both candidates were among those originally recommended by the search committee but did not actively pursue their candidacy, Perlman said.
Hutchins, who has also served since 1997 as an adjunct professor of entomology at UNL, has a history as a leader in the research-based agricultural products industry while maintaining a strong record of scholarly activity. He earned his bachelor's degree at Auburn University (1981), his master's degree at Mississippi State University (1983) and his doctorate at Iowa State University (1987), all in entomology, then began a 12-year career with the Dow Chemical Co. and DowElanco. For Dow Chemical, he served as senior development biologist in Minneapolis and technical training manager in Midland, Mich. In 1989, Hutchins became recruitment and professional development manager for Dow AgroSciences in Indianapolis, and went on to serve the company as research and development human resources manager, manager of U.S. crops research and development, manager of global field research and product development and leader of North American technology development for Dow AgroSciences. As a scholar, he has published 14 book chapters, reviews and invited manuscripts, and has had 17 journal publications and numerous other technical and popular publications and presentations.
Owens, who has been at New Mexico State since 1977, has been the
school's executive vice president and chief academic officer for three
years, the first two in an interim appointment. He earned his bachelor's
degree in biology at West Texas State University (1966), his master's in
entomology at Texas Tech University (1969) and his doctorate in
entomology at Iowa State (1971). Owens began his career as an assistant
professor of entomology at Iowa State from 1971 to 1975, then served one
year as an associate professor of entomology at Texas Tech and worked one
year as an entomologist for Pioneer Hi-Bred International before going to
New Mexico State. At NMSU, he rose to the rank of professor and served
one year as head of the department of entomology and plant pathology
(1984-85). He spent the next 12 years as dean and chief administrative
officer for the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, the New Mexico
Cooperative Extension Service and the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment
Station. He is immediate past president of the Southwestern and Rocky
Mountain Division of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science.
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