During a telephonic meeting Thursday, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved the appointment of two deans recommended by Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano with concurrence from A&M System Chancellor Michael D. McKinney, following extensive national searches.  Mark Hussey was named to the joint positions of vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M, effective immediately.  Eleanor M. Green was named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, effective March 1.

“We are obviously pleased with both appointments,” noted Dr. Murano.  “I am confident that both Dr. Hussey and Dr. Green will effectively build on their colleges’ strengths, providing the leadership that will further enhance their respective reputations for excellence in teaching, research and service at the state, national and international levels.”

Hussey has been interim vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since January 2008, succeeding Dr. Murano, who became president of Texas A&M.  The College has an enrollment of almost 6,700 students in 14 academic departments and offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees.  It also has a faculty of nearly 400 members, including two Nobel laureates.

As part of his joint appointment as vice chancellor with the A&M System, Hussey will also oversee Texas AgriLife Research, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Forest Service and Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. When combined with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife comprises one of the largest and most diverse such organizations in the country.

Hussey previously served as director of Texas AgriLife Research (formerly the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station) where he managed the 1,600-employee agency dedicated to research and technology development in food, agriculture and natural resources.  He is a professor and former head of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University and holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Illinois, as well as a master's and Ph.D. in plant breeding from Texas A&M.

Green’s appointment follows a search that attracted applicants and nominations from many leading institutions in the United States.  She will succeed Dr. H. Richard Adams, who is returning to the faculty of the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology.  Green will be the first woman to serve as dean of the college.

As dean, Green will serve as the principal academic leader and chief executive officer of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.  The College is one of 31 colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada, enrolling nearly 500 students in its doctor of veterinary medicine program, as well as more than 2,250 students in its undergraduate biomedical science program and more than 150 graduate students in a variety of research programs.  Green will also be responsible for the management of six academic departments and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Green currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida–Gainesville.  She also serves as chief of staff for the Large Animal Hospital at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida–Gainesville and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.  She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Specialty Internal Medicine, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Certified in Equine Practice.

Texas A&M Provost and Executive Vice President for Academics Jeffrey S. Vitter applauded the Regents’ decision, citing both Hussey’s and Green’s impressive credentials.  “I have had the opportunity to work with Mark Hussey as interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and have been impressed by his vision and insightful leadership,” Vitter said.

Commenting on Green, Vitter said, “Dr. Green’s leadership of two different colleges of veterinary medicine, as well as her recognized ability to bring together faculty, staff, and students to advance a shared vision, equip her well for her responsibilities leading the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.  I am looking forward to working with her as we develop the Academic Master Plan and set the course for reaching the goals of Vision 2020.”

Before joining the faculty at the University of Florida, Green was professor and head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and director of the Large Animal Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  She has also served on the faculties of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.