Search begins for CALS dean
Members of the UW–Madison community can give input to the search committee through an online survey or at public listening sessions on Nov. 18 and 19.
A search committee has been appointed to help identify and select candidates to be the next dean of UW–Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Katrina Forest, chair of the CALS Department of Bacteriology, will serve as chair of the search committee.
Former CALS Dean and Director Glenda Gillaspy announced this summer that she will move into a new role serving as the university’s director of the Wisconsin Rural Partnerships Institute. Troy Runge, an associate dean and professor of biological systems engineering, was selected in July to serve as CALS interim dean.
The dean of CALS is the chief academic and executive officer of the college, providing leadership to more than 250 faculty and more than 800 staff across 14 academic departments.
The college currently enrolls 4,560 undergraduate and 780 graduate students. CALS serves as the research and development backbone of Wisconsin’s $116.3 billion agricultural economy, generating $884.2 million in total economic impact across Wisconsin.
The college also has a large facility footprint, including occupants across 28 campus buildings and over 8,000 acres of land and associated agricultural research facilities in Madison and throughout the state.
A full description of the CALS dean position is available online. To ensure consideration, applications must be received by Feb. 15, 2027.
Opportunities for public input
Members of the UW–Madison community can give input to the search committee through an online survey or at public listening sessions.
Two public listening sessions will be held via Zoom for the search committee and Isaacson, Miller, the firm assisting with the search, to gather input about key priorities and the qualities of an ideal candidate.
Search committee members
In addition to Forest, committee members are:
- John Anderson, Transportation Services, Facilities Planning and Management
- Jennifer Blazek, Office of Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Division of Enrollment Management
- Tessa Conroy, Agricultural and Applied Economics, CALS
- Natalia de Leon, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, CALS
- Tera Holtz, Academic Advising, CALS
- Jon Levine, dean, School of Veterinary Medicine
- Hilario Mantovani, Animal and Dairy Sciences, CALS
- Karl Martin, dean, Division of Extension
- Ben Miller, chief operating officer, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
- Matthew Mokrzycki, student representative, CALS
- Adena Rissman, Forest and Wildlife Ecology, CALS
- Judy Simcox, Biochemistry, CALS
- Victor Ujor, Food and Nutritional Sciences, CALS
- Xia Zhu-Barker, Soil and Environmental Sciences, CALS
Questions?
Questions or comments may be directed to Carole Kolb, director of administrative searches in the Office of the Provost.Story copy here.
