Two veteran administrators will assume interim dean roles at Fresno State on Dec. 1, University Provost Lynnette Zelezny announced.
Dr. Sandra Witte will be interim dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, replacing Dr. Charles Boyer, who accepted a position with Montana State University. Witte will overlap with Boyer during December to provide a smooth transition. Zelezny made the selection after consulting with the Jordan College faculty and staff and receiving their unanimous recommendation.
Witte will serve in the interim role until a permanent dean is selected. The search will begin in January and is expected to conclude by the end of the spring 2015 semester. Witte will appoint an interim associate dean and conduct a search for a farm manager when she begins her assignment.
“The Jordan College plays a critical role in supporting the future of agriculture by preparing graduates who lead the industry and make a difference in California, the nation and the world,” Witte said. “It is truly an honor for me to serve the students, faculty and staff as their dean.”
Witte currently holds two positions as dean of the Division of Graduate Studies and Jordan College associate dean. Witte joined the Fresno State faculty in 1992. Prior to her administrative assignment starting in 2007, she was a professor and chair of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition. She also served as the program coordinator for the Didactic Program in dietetics.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in foods and nutrition at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; master’s degree in home economics, nutrition and dietetics option at Fresno State; and her Ph.D. in food systems management at Oregon State University, Corvallis.
Zelezny named Dr. James Marshall interim dean of the Division of Graduate Studies to replace Witte. He will serve until a search is completed for a new dean for the division.
Marshall will continue in his role as associate dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, and will also serve as acting Kremen dean when Dr. Paul Beare takes a short-term leave of absence later this year.
“It’s an honor to be appointed to this position,” Marshall said. “I look forward to working with everyone on campus involved in the Division of Graduate Studies to help our students.”
Marshall also serves as the director of the Central Valley Science Project, working to provide professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers. He joined the Kremen School faculty in 1990 after working as a field biologist and teaching high school and elementary school science.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida and a master’s in biology and science education and a Ph.D. in science education from the University of South Florida.
