Writer(s):
March 6, 2017
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University has recommended the appointment of Cathann Arceneaux Kress, PhD, as vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). She currently is vice president for extension and outreach and director of cooperative extension at Iowa State University. Subject to approval by Ohio State’s Board of Trustees, Kress will begin her appointment May 1.
“It’s an honor to join the incredible community of faculty, staff and volunteers dedicated to all of CFAES’s missions in education, research, outreach and service. I’m excited by the opportunities and multiple ways we can enhance the capacities and impacts of CFAES,” Kress said. “I’d like to thank the members of the search committee for their service, and I look forward to meeting many colleagues, students, alumni and friends in the coming months.”
As vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES, Kress will be the chief academic and administrative officer of the college and will be responsible for leading its education, research, service and outreach missions. The dean also leads fundraising efforts and facilitates strategic internal and external relationships of the college.
“I look forward to working with Cathann as we move forward with an ambitious agenda for our college and university,” said Bruce A. McPheron, PhD, Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost.
In her current role, Kress leads the land-grant mission of teaching, research and service for the public good at Iowa State. This $100 million operation connects the full assets of the university with all of Iowa. Her success in using university-wide outreach programs to enhance education and innovation in Iowa communities has aligned with her key responsibility to advise the president and provost on extension and outreach issues.
Kress has taught undergraduate and graduate students at all levels. In addition, her research and applied research efforts have focused on impacts on rural populations. For example, her work has included the impacts of multiple deployments on dependent children of National Guard and Reserve service members; programs to assist disadvantaged children, youth and families; and on achievement gaps that impact rural youth.
Prior to her leadership at Iowa State, Kress served as a senior policy analyst of Military Community and Family Policy at the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. In addition, she has served as director of youth development at the National 4-H Headquarters, U.S. Department of Agriculture, also in Washington, D.C.; and as assistant director, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and state program leader at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Among her many national leadership roles, she currently serves as a trustee of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Board in Battle Creek, Michigan; secretary and incoming chair, administrative heads section of the Board on Agriculture Assembly, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; and as a National 4-H Council trustee.
Kress earned a BS in social work at Iowa State and an MA in counselor education/college student development and a PhD in education, both from the University of Iowa.
Writer(s):