Four finalists have been chosen to fill the position of director for the Leopold Center currently held by Jerry DeWitt, who will retire Jan. 31, 2010.

The search to find a new director began last February. The four candidates will have the opportunity to share their ideas about the future of the Leopold Center in a public presentation. The four candidates include Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production at Pennsylvania State University; Frank Louws, associate professor of plant pathology at North Carolina State University; Ricardo Salvador, program director for food systems and rural development at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; and Davide Wedin, professor in plant and ecosystem ecology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The candidates will begin visiting campus Monday through Oct. 19. The Leopold Center is a “research and education center with statewide programs to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources,” according to the center’s Web site.

*Information from the Ames Tribune