21 January 2022
Dear OSU Community Members,
I write to share that Dr. Alan Sams, dean of OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station since 2018, has announced his plans to accept a position at Texas A&M University effective in March.
I thank Alan for his contributions while at Oregon State. He led efforts to increase college enrollment and graduation rates, grant-funded research and contracts, and philanthropic giving. He helped garner increased state investment in the OSU Statewides in 2019 as well as additional programmatic funding, oversaw the launch of the Global Hemp Innovation Center, and secured funding for both the OSU Agricultural Smoke Impact Lab and the Withycombe Hall Dairy Processing Plant. He also made organizational and operational changes in the college that will serve it very well going forward.
I will appoint an interim dean and launch a national search for the new dean by the end of February. Your nominations for these positions are welcome. Email pertinent information to Gigi Bruce, chief assistant to the provost. Nominations for the interim dean are due no later than Monday, Jan. 31.
Please join me in congratulating Alan on his appointment as A&M’s vice president for operational innovation and wishing him well in this new role.
Sincerely,
Edward Feser
Provost and Executive Vice President