Featured Article (November 2003)

Meet the New Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech

"Excellence, engagement and partnerships" are a refrain heard often from Sharron Quisenberry, the new Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

"A major reason for me taking this position is because of the excellent quality of the faculty, staff and students in this college and the university," says Quisenberry, who came to Virginia Tech from Montana State University where she was Dean of the College of Agriculture and Director of the Montana Agriculture Experiment Station. At Virginia Tech she sees a strong base on which to build for tomorrow.

"The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech have an exciting future with tremendous opportunities for cutting-edge programs in extension, instruction and research," said Quisenberry, who moved into her new position at Virginia Tech on Aug. 1.

Commitment to Build Alliances in the Virginia Horse Community

"The College also has a strong, broad-based support system across the state. We want to strengthen those connections and partnerships, including those with the horse industry. At the same time, we must build new ties and alliances. The college's stakeholders are tremendously important to our future. We cannot do it by ourselves and look forward to strengthening our partnerships, which will allow us to continue to grow."

She says the College will have a "commitment to engagement." It is a commitment she has already made, visiting various parts of the state and meeting with an array of people and organizations. She has challenged everyone in the College to reach out and get "input from people across the state. That is the only way we are going to be successful. We need that input to strengthen our programs and to ensure the greatest impact on people, their endeavors and communities.

"Partnerships need to be established across the university, the community and all aspects of our agriculture industry, and that certainly includes the total equine industry."

Virginia Tech Equine Programs

Already in place are substantial equine research and teaching programs on the Blacksburg campus and at the Middleburg Agriculture and Extension Center and at the Marion du Pont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, which is part of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

The new Livestock Teaching Arena, currently under construction at Virginia Tech, will provide additional facilities, she says. And the College is also looking to hire three faculty members for its equine programs. One of those will fill the Paul Mellon Professorship, which along with an assistant professor will be added to the staff at the Middleburg AREC. Interviews for the third position, an Extension equine specialists, are underway. (See the accompany sidebar for other information on Virginia Tech's equine programs and services.)

Focus on the Future

Quisenberry says that much of the quality of life that is enjoyed in the U.S. today is because of the "Golden Age of Agriculture Production." But, she says, "How we focus our future can have a more profound impact on society, even more than what we have accomplished in the past.

"The College is going to build on our strengths here at Virginia Tech to assist citizens of the state to have a better quality of life. When we look at agriculture, we are not only going to look at the success of production but how our producers can add value to what they are already doing, whether that is through bio-based products, diversification into new crops or other avenues, including our relationship with the horse industry.

"We are going to look at how agriculture can be tied to human health and nutrition, to the prevention of chronic diseases, and can assist communities with economic development. This would include areas such as families; youth at risk, our urban/rural interface, green spaces, quality of life, leisure, rural economic development and health and exercise.

"The College will expand but focus our vision of how we can best meet the needs of our clientele. We must bring our expertise in research, teaching and extension together to address problems that face society."

Well aware of the challenges ahead as a result of significant budget reductions and the loss of faculty in recent years, she says she is strongly optimistic about the future. "There are some missing pieces and we will do our best to address those critical needs while addressing future needs.

"As I said, the College has tremendous strengths. It is important that we take this opportunity to look at ourselves, to assess whom we are and where we want to go in the future. The College will have to leverage the resources it has, look at reinvestments and leverage this with external resources. We look forward to working with the horse industry and all our clientele to make a difference."

Before serving as dean at Montana State for four years, she headed the Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a professor of entomology and a past president and Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). She currently serves on the National Academy of Sciences' Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources and was appointed by President Bush to serve on the Board for International Food and Agriculture Development.

Virginia Tech Equine Points of Interest

• Of the 450 undergraduate majors in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, 60% have an equine interest as indicated by student surveys.
• There are 30 students from other majors who are currently pursuing a minor in Equine Science. Most of these are from other colleges across the university.
• Dr. Rebecca Splan supervises an equine internship program, which expands the hands-on and industry experiences of our students beyond the Blacksburg campus and classrooms. Internships are served across Virginia and in other states. (Those interested in developing an internship may contact Dr. Splan at rsplan@vt.edu
• Undergraduate students with equine interest can participate on the Intercollegiate Horse Judging Team, Equestrian Club, Block & Bridle Club or the Pre-Vet Club in an effort to expand their equine contacts and experiences.
• Dr. Ann Dunnington supervises the department's 30 broodmares and 2 stallions which are predominantly sport horse breeding. This group of horses provides students hand-on opportunities with training, breeding and merchandising of the horses.
• Mrs. Teresa McDonald serves as the instructor of the equitation program and manages the equitation herd of 40 horses used in the riding program. Department majors and minors get priority in enrolling in equitation courses but students from other areas are enrolled as space permits. McDonald is also advisor to the Intercollegiate Riding Team that represents Virginia Tech in Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and Intercollegiate Dressage Association events.
• The new Teaching Arena, currently under construction, includes a 125' X 250' arena floor which will allow equine and livestock teaching events to occur in a state-of-the-art facility, regardless of weather. The arena is scheduled for completion next spring.
• The Animal and Poultry Sciences Department is currently filling its vacant Extension equine specialists position and is making plans to advertise an Assistant Professor position and the Paul Mellon Chair position. Both of these latter positions will be located at the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center.
• Around 4,000 young people are involved in horse projects through 4-H, Virginia Cooperative Extension's youth development program. It is one of the largest project areas in community clubs.

The Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center is envisioned as:

• A Center that interacts with the equine community and improves the quality of care of horses, pastures and land conservation.
• A Center that advances all components of the horse industry - utilization for recreation as well as production - in the Commonwealth of Virginia;
• The Middleburg AREC's mission is to develop an ideal pasture system in which superior care and nutrition of horses not only ensures their health and promotes their performance but also protects and enhances the land. The mission is accomplished through research, graduate training and outreach activities.

The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine:

• The Large Animal Surgery Service of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital offers a wide range of routine and specialized veterinary services for horses and farm animals. Services provided include lameness evaluation, dentistry, and surgery for problems such as orthopedic, abdominal, urogenital, and respiratory disorders. Acupuncture and farrier services are also available.
• The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, opened in 1984, is a referral hospital for equine patients.

For additional information see
www.apsc.vt.edu
http://arecs.vaes.vt.edu/arec.cfm?webname=middleburg
www.vetmed.vt.edu/