Arkansas State University College of Agriculture appoints interim dean
by July 25, 2019 3:21 pm 963 views
Arkansas State University Provost Alan Utter appointed veteran College of Agriculture administrator Donald “Bud” Kennedy the college’s interim dean.
“It is with great pleasure that I can announce that Dr. Kennedy has graciously accepted the duty of guiding the college through the next academic year,” Utter said in a statement. “I have great confidence in his knowledge of our students and faculty, and know that he will do a magnificent job as our interim dean.”
Kennedy takes over for Tim Burcham, who resigned earlier this month to accept a position as the inaugural director of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center for the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture.
Utter also announced a plan for a national search committee to locate a permanent dean. Carl Cates, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Communication, will lead the group.
“Our desire is to have a new dean in place by this time next year to begin the 2020-21 academic year,” Utter said. “I want to thank Dr. Cates in advance for his service in leading the search committee.”
Kennedy has served as the associate dean for the ASU College of Agriculture for the past six years. He was also the interim dean in 2013 prior to Burcham’s appointment.
A graduate of Sam Houston State in Texas, Kennedy earned his Ph.D. in animal science at Louisiana State University in 1991 and worked for three years at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., as an assistant professor. He joined Arkansas State in 1993, and is currently a full professor of animal science and is a registered professional animal scientist. Kennedy’s research specialty area is livestock nutrition.
Kennedy has been the adviser for the student Delta Tau Alpha agriculture honor society since he arrived in 1993. He was selected for the organization’s national teacher adviser award in 2016. Among other service projects, he is a liaison to the Eastern District Future Farmers of America for the college and served on the A-State Instructional Farm’s oversight committee.
Animal science and Arkansas State run deep in the Kennedy family. His wife is a retired companion animal veterinarian in the region and one of his daughters is an ASU alumna.