USU Names Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies

 Utah State University has named University of Florida administrator Mark R. McLellan as USU’s new vice president for research and dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

McLellan is currently dean for Research and director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He begins work July 1 at USU.

McLellan is a highly published scholar with almost 30 years of experience across three university systems. He has extensive academic program development and leadership skills, and varied outreach and communications experience. He has developed and implemented major research programs at all three universities. He has also exhibited a commitment to developing graduate programs as a core component of his research efforts.

“After a comprehensive national search, Dr. McLellan emerged as the top choice from an exceptionally high-quality field,” said USU President Stan L. Albrecht. “We are excited to have someone with his excellent research background and proven administrative experience joining our leadership team.”

McLellan received his bachelor’s degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst and his master’s and doctorate from Michigan State University, all in food science. He was a tenured professor at Cornell University where he also served as department chair for four years. He served six years as director of a multi-college research center at Texas A&M University, and he was dean of research and experiment station director at University of Florida for five years.

McLellan said he is excited to be a part of Utah State University, an institution known nationally and internationally for its research strengths and known also for the opportunities it provides graduate students to train with the best scholars in their fields.

“The researchers at Utah State University are a national best-kept secret,” he said. “They are innovative, energetic and creative scientists who know how to push the envelope of discovery. Under the leadership of President Albrecht, Utah State is clearly changing with more energy and focus — putting things into overdrive. I am very proud to be a new part of this leadership team.”

He said he looks forward to helping the faculty continue to build a vibrant and exciting graduate training experience. “Graduate studies should be an intense exploration of our fields of study, and at USU this student experience is exceptional,” he said.

McLellan said he also is proud to join an institution that values the undergraduate research experience.

The chair of the search committee, Noelle Cockett, USU’s vice president for Extension and dean of the College of Agriculture, said McLellan will bring an extensive research and administrative background from multiple land-grant institutions. He is highly qualified with experience specifically appropriate to USU’s mission.

“Dr. McLellan’s research accomplishments are significant, including extensive international work that has been recognized by the leading scientific society in his field,” she said.

McLellan has published more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles, and his international expertise in food processing led to McLellan being recognized as a prestigious Fellow by the Institute of Food Technologists.

Cockett also said McLellan’s career shows he is an innovative problem solver with vast experience working both at major research institutions and with government and non-government agencies around the world.

“He also understands well the critical research and graduate education mission of Utah State, and he is committed to blending the two offices seamlessly,” she said.

USU announced in September 2010 that it was combining its Research Office and the School of Graduate Studies in an effort to enhance graduate and research opportunities at the institution. McLellan replaces Byron Burnham, vice provost and dean for Graduate Studies, and Brent Miller, vice president for Research.