Jack Payne has had a busy summer.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources has named a dean or chair for the third time in less than a month.
A week ago, former Cornell University professor and department of plant pathology chairwoman Rosemary Loria was chosen to be the new plant pathology department chairwoman at UF.
Less than a week later, John Hayes, the department chairman for wildlife ecology and conservation at UF, will take over as the new interim dean for the Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Hayes, 55, has been the chairman of the wildlife ecology and conservation department since 2006. He said faculty members are in the process of nominating a substitute to serve as interim chair in his absence, and will take about a week to identify a member of the senior faculty.
Loria, 59, received her doctorate from Michigan State University in 1980. She then devoted more than 30 years to research and teaching at Cornell, where she also served as plant pathology department chairwoman for five years.
"Dr. Rose Loria is extremely well qualified for the position," said Eric Triplett, the outgoing interim chairman. "She comes with a great deal of experience. I am confident that she will do a terrific job and will be a great asset to the plant pathology department, IFAS and all of UF."
In August 2010, Loria was the recipient of the Ruth Allen Award, an award that honors those who have made research contributions that have changed, or could potentially alter, the course of research being done in the field of plant pathology.
As interim dean, Hayes is expected to earn $193,788 per year. Loria is expected to earn $185,000 per year.
Hayes said he is looking to build on the work of the outgoing research dean, Mark McLellan.
"I want to build on the great legacy that he's created," Hayes said. "And to bring a personal vision as to how we can move that forward."
