The next search process is already underway following the selection of a new Iowa State president.

Following the appointment of Wendy Wintersteen to become Iowa State’s 16th president, administrators are now looking to fill her previously held position as the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The transition will closely resemble the selection process used to determine the president of the university, and will begin with securing an interim dean.

Unlike the selection process for the university president, the new College of Agriculture dean will be chosen by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, the entity responsible for overseeing Iowa State’s academic programs, tenure decisions and faculty appointments.

Rob Schweers, director of communications for the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, said the standard process would be conducted as follows:

• Selection of interim dean
• Selection of search committee and chairs
• Selection of search firm (if applicable)
• Formal launch of search
• Collection of nominations and applications
• First round of interviews (often at an off-campus location)
• Finalist interviews (on campus)
• Selection of the new dean

President Wintersteen is not the first “internal candidate,” or College of Agriculture administrator more specifically, to be appointed to the top position. Seaman Asahel Knapp and Adonijah S. Welch also led the agriculture program at Iowa State prior to becoming president of the university.

The College of Agriculture has recently been presented with opportunities to expand, particularly as it relates to establishing the new feed mill and grain complex. A new minor in feed technology will also incorporate courses from the areas of both animal science and agriculture-systems technology.

The new endeavor, being funded entirely by private donations, has created the opportunity to broaden the relationship between the College of Agriculture and agricultural engineering majors.

“I’d like to see the opportunity for [the new College of Agriculture dean] to be open to trying to interconnect a lot of the majors within CALS and the College of Engineering,” said Trevor Stevenson, a graduate student-assistant for the department of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

The College of Agriculture received nearly $250 million in donations during Wintersteen’s tenure as dean. During her presidential announcement address, the president-select discussed her objective to further facilitate the Forever True for Iowa State campaign in conjunction with the Iowa State University Foundation.

“It will help us build a world-class research and education set of facilities, and provide significant support for building excellence in our teaching, research and extension programs,” Wintersteen said.

Check back with the Daily for continuing coverage on the transition to a new College of Agriculture dean.