Dr. Karen Plaut, the former Glenn W. Sample dean of the Purdue College of Agriculture, was promoted last month by new Purdue President Mung Chiang to be the university’s new Executive Vice President for Research.
HAT caught up with Plaut recently at the Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry where she got to catch up with about 1,100 of her closest ag friends.
“They will continue to be my friends. I love the College of Agriculture. Even though I’m going on to another job, this is still a really important part of who I am and who we are and what we can do for Purdue University.”
Plaut says she’s not done with the College of Ag. It will be an integral part of her new role in research.
“The College of Agriculture is one of the shining stars in research, for sure, when I look across the whole campus. We’ve got a strong relationship with engineering, which is another shining star, and in this new role, I believe I can help build bigger teams and continue the legacy of Purdue in all these fields that are so important.”
Under Plaut’s leadership, the Purdue College of Agriculture climbed the QS World rankings for agriculture and forestry, reaching number 4 in the US and number 8 globally.
“Clearly, I’m really proud of our rankings, but I’m also proud of our students,” Plaut said as she reflected on her time as the Purdue Ag Dean. “Our students are in leadership roles in industry, in academia, in the government… And to see the accomplishments of our students and our students leading the way is something as a College of Agriculture dean, that I feel really, really proud of.”
Plaut continued, “I have to add to that what we do in communities, how we make a difference in communities, is really, really important to that legacy. You don’t get to be number four in the US and number eight in the world without making a difference on so many levels.”
Dr. Ken Foster is currently serving as interim dean of the college while a national search for a permanent dean is conducted.
