Committees

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design
Standing Appointed Committee Recommendations
2019-20

• EXECUTIVE (elected committee)

• Eugenia Pena-Yewtukhiw, Chair (2022) – PSS
• Greg Dahle, Chair (2024) – FNR
• Robert Dailey (2024) – ANS
• Mark Sperow (2023) – REM
• Jessica Blythe (2023) - DCD
• Darrell Donahue (ex-officio)



• ACADEMIC STANDARDS & CURRICULUM

MISSION: The primary mission of the Academic Standards, Curriculum, and Courses Committee is to safeguard the quality of education and monitor the composition of the College curricula to assure continued strength and quality in all programs offered by the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design. The Academic Standards, Curriculum, and Courses Committee is comprised of five members, one from each Division of the College. This committee reviews all proposed curriculum changes, provides feedback, and makes recommendations to the College regarding proposed changes. The committee also reviews student’s petitions regarding course changes, substitutions and other academic issues. After elaboration, the committee provides recommendation of approval/disapproval to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. When the academic problem is out of the expert areas of the committee, the recommendation is based on the professional opinion of instructors from other academic units of the University.

• John Edwards, Chair (2023) – FNR
• Elizabeth Byrd (2025) – REM
• Michael Dougherty (2023) - DCD
• Louis McDonald (2024) – PSS
• Jacek Jaczynski (2023) - ANS
• Kim Barnes (ex-officio, non-voting member)



• STUDENT RESEARCH AND CREATIVE SCHOLARSHIP

MISSION: The Davis College Student Research and Creative Scholarship Committee is designed to organize an annual event where undergraduate and graduate students in agriculture, natural resources and design present selected papers and posters that represent their research and creative scholarship efforts. It is an opportunity to provide recognition to the scholarly work of the Davis College students and to enhance their professional development. The event also allows for recognition and appreciation of the diversity across disciplines and students in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.

• Caroline Arantes (2023) – FNR
• Aaron Giorgi, Co-chair (2023) – DCD
• Elizabeth Rowen, Co-chair (2024) - PSS
• Kelli George (2023) – ANS
• Ana Claudia Sant’Anna (2024) - REM



• DIVERSITY

MISSION: The unifying core of the work for the Diversity Committee centers on promoting positive character, ethics, responsibility and respect related to the Davis College faculty, staff, and students.    

• Debanjan Das (2023) – DCD
• Stefanie Hines, Co-chair (2024) – FNR
• Domingo Mata-Padrino (2023) – PSS
• Dee Singh-Knights, Co-chair (2024) – REM
• Ibuku (Mike) Ogunade (2024) – ANS
  
• Robert Burns ex-officio
• Melissa Olfert (non voting member as Liaison to WVU DEI Council)



• FACULTY SUPPORT

MISSION: The Faculty Support Committee (FS) is responsible for identifying and addressing the needs of new and continuing faculty in the Davis College in a variety of venues. The FS committee is comprised of five members, one from each Division of the College. These representatives may recruit other Division representatives to serve on ad hoc committees to address specific issues or larger projects as needed. Areas of concentration for the FS committee will include but not be limited to:

1. Information Technology – The committee will serve as a channel through which any member of the College may provide input into College-wide computing and related technology needs. IT support is centralized at the University level, so this committee will review, process, and forward relevant requests.
2. Faculty Development – The committee will propose and coordinate (as appropriate) activities to support the professional development of the Davis College faculty and maximize faculty success. This will include the solicitation of applications and awarding of funding for available College-level faculty development awards.
3. Library Resources – The committee will be responsible for receiving and processing appropriate requests for library resources, and for conducting periodic reviews of current library serial titles to determine continued need.

Classroom Facilities – The committee will serve as a voice for the faculty in what is needed in classrooms to enhance the teaching, research and service missions and what the quality of life is in these classrooms. Facilities planning has been centralized at the University level, so this committee will provide information and support as needed to the Facilities group.

• Teiya Kijimoto (2023) – PSS
• Lisa Orr (2023) – DCD
• Kirsten Stephan, Chair (2023) – FNR
• Elizabeth Byrd (2024) – REM
• Hillar Klandorf (2024) – ANS
  
• Kim Barnes (ex-officio, non-voting member)
  
• Ben Groover (Technical Consultant, non-voting member)



• MASTER OF AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

MISSION: The purpose of the Davis College Master of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design (MANRD) Committee is to ensure that high quality students with the necessary prerequisites are admitted to the MANRD program. The Committee reviews the operation of the MANRD program periodically in terms of whether it is adequately meeting the needs of nontraditional pre-professional students and makes recommendations for improvement of its operations.

• Kim Barnes, Associate Dean
• Alan Collins, Resource Economics and Management
• Brett Kenney, Animal and Nutritional Sciences
• Domingo Mata Padrino, Plant and Soil Sciences
  
• Joseph McNeel, Natural Resources and Forestry
• Emily Perdue, Design and Community Development



• SPECIAL EVENTS

MISSION: The Special Events Committee of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design is a faculty committee that organizes special events where members of the college faculty get an opportunity to interact in a social setting with each other, emeritus faculty, staff, graduate students, and members of the College Visiting Committee. The committee’s express mission is to:

• Promote fellowship and improve communication among college faculty and
• Organize events where the college community can meet at social events.

More specifically, the Special Events committee organizes a minimum of:

1. an annual fall picnic, which provides opportunity for graduate students, staff retired faculty and their families to interact in an informal setting, and annual employee recognition luncheon
2. an annual convocation reception for graduating students and their parents. Other activities should be planned as a part of the Special Events Committee’s responsibility based on needs identified by the College governance or other recommendations.

• Colleen Moretz (2024) –  DCD
• Joe Lynch (2024) – PSS
• Brent Murry (2024) – FNR
• Siddhartha Bora (2024) – REM
• Joe Moritz (2024) –   ANS REM



• STUDENT AID AND GRANTS

(Recruitment staff person to hold an ex-officio position on this committee to coordinate recruitment with student aid and grants)

MISSION: To review the criteria of the various scholarships in the Davis College, review applications for the scholarships funds from students in the College and make recommendations for award of the funds.

• Nicole Waterland (2022) - PSS
• Steve Chhin (2023) – FNR
• Scott Bowdridge, Chair (2024) – ANS
• Katie Jones (2023) – DCD
• Alan Collins (2022) – REM
• Amber Hines (ex-officio, non-voting member)



• DCANRD Graduate Faculty Council (elected committee):

• Kim Barnes, Chair
• Christopher Lituma 2023 – FNR
• 
  
• Levan Elbakidzem 2024 – REM
• Scott Bowdridge 2024 – ANS
• Ember Morrissey 2024 – PSS



• DCANRD Representatives to WVU Graduate Council (elected members):

• Patricia Mazik 2020
• Jinyang Deng 2020



• DCANRD P&T Committee (elected committee – 1 year term)

• Jason Hubbart, Chair (PSS)
• Ron Dulaney (DCD)
• Kristen Matak (ANS)
• Chad Pierskalla (FNR)
• Mike Strager (REM)
• James Thompson (PSS)



• DCANRD Faculty Senators (elected members):

• Shawn Grushecky (2023)
• Lisa Orr (2023)
• Christopher Rota (2024)
• Stefania Staniscia (2024)
• Greg Dahle (2025)
• Chris Haddox (2023)



• WVAFES Publications Committee:

• Matt Wilson, Chair
• Ibukun (Mike) Ogunade (ANS )
• John Edwards (FNR)
• Hodjat Ghadimi (DCD)
• Michael Gutensohn (PSS)
• Mark Sperow (REM)