AMES, Iowa — Open forums are scheduled for three finalists who have applied to be the next chair of the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University.
Maynard Hogberg, the current department chair, announced his plans for retirement last year. He has served as chair since 2003. Prior to coming to Iowa State, Hogberg served 18 years as chair of Michigan State University's Department of Animal Science. He earned all his degrees at Iowa State: a doctorate in animal nutrition in 1976, a master’s degree in animal science in 1972 and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 1966.
The three finalists and the dates of their open forums are:
- Mark McGuire, professor of lactation physiology at the University of Idaho, March 7
- James Reecy, professor of animal science at Iowa State University, March 11
- Andre-Denis Wright, professor of animal science at the University of Vermont, April 4
All the open forums are scheduled for 10 a.m. in Room 1204 Kildee Hall, and are open to the public. The finalists will discuss their leadership style and vision for the department.
McGuire is an Illinois native who joined the University of Idaho in 1995 and has served as the head of its Department of Animal and Veterinary Science since 2013. He earned a doctorate in animal science from Cornell University in 1994, a master’s degree in dairy science from the University of Florida, Gainesville in 1987 and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in dairy science 1984.
Reecy joined ISU in 1999 and has served as the director of the ISU Office of Biotechnology since 2009. Reecy earned a doctorate in animal science from Purdue University in 1995, a master’s degree in animal science from the University of Missouri in 1992 and a bachelor’s degree in animal science at South Dakota State University in 1990.
Wright joined the University of Vermont in 2009 and serves as the chair of its animal science department. He also is director of the Vermont Dairy Center of Excellence. Wright earned a doctorate degree in zoology at the University of Guelph in 1998, a master’s degree in zoology at the University of Guelph in 1993 and a bachelor’s degree in biology at Saint Mary's University in 1988.