“Much is happening in the Darr College of Agriculture (DCOAG),” says Provost Dr. John Jasinski. “We look forward to enhancing our statewide prominence within agriculture and developing the industry’s future leaders.”
As part of the recent academic realignment, DCOAG underwent exciting evolutions that included welcoming hospitality programs into the college for a complete “farm-to-fork” focus. To support fuller collaboration, DCOAG programs were reorganized into the following schools:
- The School of Agricultural Science and Conservation (housing the animal science, equine science, pre-veterinary, environmental plant science, natural resources and wildlife conservation and management programs).
- The School of Hospitality and Agricultural Leadership (housing the hospitality leadership, agribusiness, agriculture education and agricultural communications programs).
The Next DCOAG Dean
Next up is a national search for the DCOAG dean. The dean provides professional, intellectual and administrative leadership while helping to craft and pursue a vision consistent with Missouri State’s Long-Range Plan and public affairs mission. “I’m confident that the next dean will be an innovative, team-oriented and visionary leader,” Jasinski says.
The dean has oversight for the two DCOAG academic schools, the Darr Agricultural Center and several major teaching and research properties, including Journagan Ranch, Shealy Farm, Kindrick Family Farm, The Woodlands and Baker’s Acres. Mountain Grove campus operations have a dotted-line reporting structure into the DCOAG dean’s office.
Facilities housed within the Darr Agricultural Center include the Bond Learning Center, the recently opened Small Animal Education Center, Pinegar Arena, research plots and AgAcademy (a Springfield Public Schools choice program). The Agricultural Innovation Hub is in development.
Dr. David Meinert, dean of the College of Business, will serve as chair of the search committee for the next DCOAG dean. The committee’s goal is to complete the search by late spring 2024. Applications will open this month.
![Two people, out of focus in the background, standing in an agricultural field with plants in the foreground](https://blogs.missouristate.edu/provost/files/2023/12/20136-1649-700x467.jpg)
Around Campus…
Dr. Bryan Brinkman, assistant professor of languages, cultures and religions, and Dr. Julia Troche, associate professor of history, co-curated a new exhibition at the Springfield Art Museum. Brinkman and Troche worked with a number of history, classics and honors students and the Museum’s curatorial and education staff to create “Ancient Artifacts Abroad.” It’s on display December 9 – June 16.
According to a release from the Museum, “The objects in this special exhibition are travelers — across both time and space. These artifacts, drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, either come from or were inspired by items from the ancient Mediterranean world. Ancient Artifacts Abroad considers how and why objects moved around in antiquity and also how they traversed social, cultural and religious spaces over time… This will be the first time that many of these artifacts have been on display at the Museum.”