Indiana Ag Connection - Purdue Agriculture Appoints New Research Program Director

Indiana Ag News Headlines

Purdue Agriculture Appoints New Research Program Director
Indiana Ag Connection - 03/11/2010

Karen Plaut, chair of the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University, will become director of Agricultural Research Programs in Purdue University's College of Agriculture, effective June 1.

"Dr. Plaut's exceptional accomplishments as a research scientist and her proven record of academic leadership make her ideally suited for this position," said Jay Akridge, the Glenn W. Sample dean of the College of Agriculture. "I could not be more excited about the potential for our College of Agriculture research enterprise with Dr. Plaut in the lead. I am very grateful to Dr. Mark Hermodson for his outstanding leadership as interim director of Agricultural Research Programs over the past several months."

As director, Plaut will be responsible for providing administrative support to departments and faculty in the College of Agriculture, the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Agricultural Research Programs encourages interdisciplinary research efforts, helps faculty find and compete for funding opportunities, and ensures the availability of infrastructure.

"What I'm really looking forward to is building on the research at Purdue," Plaut said. "I really think Purdue has the opportunity to be the leader in agriculture for the 21st century."

Plaut has served as chair and professor of Michigan State's Department of Animal Science since 2005. She held several positions at the University of Vermont starting in 1990, including: chair of the Department of Animal Science; assistant, associate and full professor of animal science; and associate director of the Vermont Space Grant Consortium. She was also the lead scientist for a biological research project for the International Space Station for the NASA Ames Research Center in California.

Plaut earned her bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Vermont, a master's in animal nutrition from Penn State University and a doctoral in animal science from Cornell University.

Sonny Ramaswamy, who had been director of the program, was appointed dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University last year.