From MSU News Service
BOZEMAN – Researchers and educators from universities in Oregon and South Africa are finalists for the Nancy Cameron Beef Physiology Chair in the College of Agriculture at Montana State University. The candidates will visit campus for interviews and public research seminars from March 21-April 7.
The finalists are, in order of their visits to campus: Timothy DelCurto, associate professor, director and program head at Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns and Union Stations; Edward Webb, professor of animal and wildlife sciences at University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa; Reinaldo Cooke, associate professor and beef cattle specialist, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns Station.
“This is one of the most important new hires the department has ever had to make,” said Patrick Hatfield, professor and department head in MSU College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal and Range Sciences. “I see this position taking a major leadership role in the department’s beef research and teaching program.”
Hatfield noted the importance of communication, not only of the university with the beef industry, but of the beef industry with the university, as well. He emphasized that, while the MSU Extension beef specialist is the primary point of contact, the person holding the Cameron chair will play an important role in maintaining open communications.
A summary of the candidates’ backgrounds, and date and time of each of their public forums, follows in the order of the candidates’ visits to the Bozeman campus.
DelCurto will be on campus March 21-22. DelCurto earned his Ph.D. in animal sciences from Kansas State University. He will give a public research seminar on Tuesday, March 22, at 10 a.m. in room 134 of the Animal Biosciences Building.
Webb will be on campus March 24-25. He earned his Ph.D. in animal science at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Webb will give a public research seminar on Friday, March 25, at 10 a.m. in room 134 of the Animal Biosciences Building.
Cooke will be on campus April 6-7. He earned his Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Florida. Cooke will give a public research seminar on Thursday, April 7, at 10 a.m. in room 134 of the Animal Biosciences Building.
The endowed chair will be hosted in the MSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences, the MSU College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. Sustained by permanently invested funds, endowed chairs – which are often the highest academic award universities bestow on faculty – provide predictable and stable funding to help the university build upon its existing academic and research programs. The position is expected to be filled by a renowned, accomplished scientist who will build a high-quality, effective research program in physiology with emphasis on fundamentals of systems physiology of beef cattle production in Montana and the region.
MSU is among the top three percent of colleges and universities for research expenditures, and is also classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an institution with a high undergraduate profile. This means that undergraduates at MSU get research opportunities typically reserved for graduate students at other schools.
