Officials from Iowa State’s College of Agriculture have announced six finalists in the search for a new dean to fill the position of current Dean of Agriculture David Topel, who some administrators said will be a tough act to follow.

“He’s been the dean for 10 years, and that’s a long time to serve that position,” said Rollin Richmond, ISU provost.

A 19-member search committee, headed by Harley Moon, professor of veterinary medical research institute and chairman of the search committee, interviewed 50 to 75 candidates.

The final six candidates, including two ISU staff members, will be visiting the college in the next seven weeks.

“With the gifts that the Bakers have given and the founding of the Plant Sciences Institute, the appointment of the leader in agriculture here is very important,” Richmond said.

The six candidates are:

• Alan Bennett, associate dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at University of California, Davis;

• Cornelia Butler Flora, director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development at ISU;

• Joseph Jwu-shan Jen, dean of the College of Agriculture at California Polytechnic State University;

• Gary Minish, head of the department of animal and poultry sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;

• Colin Scanes, executive associate dean of agriculture at ISU; and

• Paul Wangsness, senior associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Pennsylvania State University.

Moon said the committee feels it is very important to appoint a dean who understands agriculture and the changes in agriculture in the Midwest. The dean also must understand the teaching, research and outreach programs at ISU.

“It is very important that the new dean has leadership capabilities in those areas,” he said.

College officials are seeking to find a candidate who can provide internal leadership within the university and a dean who will interact with the people in Iowa, from the family farmer to the commodity dealers, Richmond said.

“The economy of the state is so dependent on agriculture that they look to Iowa State as a land-grant college to provide new technology in crop breeding and resistance,” Richmond said. “We’re looking for someone who will be able to communicate well with the people in Iowa.”

The open forum presentation dates for the candidates are: Wangsness, Oct. 28 in 1204 Kildee Hall; Minish, Nov. 2 in 1204 Kildee Hall; Scanes, Nov. 11 in 2310 Kildee Hall; Jen, Nov. 15 in 2310 Kildee Hall; Flora, Nov. 30 in 1204 Kildee Hall; and Bennett, Dec. 7 in 1204 Kildee Hall.

Each forum will be held from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by an Iowa Communications Network presentation from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Room 9 Curtiss Hall. The exception is Minish, whose ICN presentation will be on Nov. 1.

The committee hopes to choose a dean sometime in December, Richmond said.