December 19, 2024
SIU chooses dean for College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences
CARBONDALE, Ill. – A leader in agricultural education in Ohio will be the next dean of the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Kristina Boone, director of Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute, will begin her duties at SIU this summer.
Boone, who earned her Master of Science and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University in agricultural communication and extension education, respectively, said she intends to build collaboration and create incentives for interdisciplinary work in teaching and research at SIU.
“Listening is very important to me. I need to learn, and the best way is to listen,” Boone said. “I appreciate SIU’s intense and consistent focus on excellence in teaching and research, as well as the various disciplines represented in the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences.”
Sheryl Tucker, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Boone was selected after a nationwide search and thanked the search committee, chaired by Juliane Wallace, associate provost for academic administration.
“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Boone into the Saluki family,” Tucker said. “Her extensive experience in interdisciplinary and experiential education and research will serve us well at the university and beyond. This is wonderful news for SIU Carbondale.”
ATI, located on OSU’s Wooster campus, is a two-year, associate degree-granting institution within OSU’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. It maintains a strong focus on experiential learning in agricultural and environmental sciences, as well as general education. Boone also currently works across the college in workforce development.
While at OSU, Boone previously served as a watershed extension agent and co-led a water education program during her graduate program. Boone, who earned her undergraduate degree at Texas Tech University, also has worked in newspapers and in public relations.
Prior to coming to OSU in 2017, Boone was head of the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education in the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University. She was also the director of an interdisciplinary secondary major in global food systems leadership, and as part of a team, developed an interdisciplinary doctoral program in leadership communication there.
Boone said her goals include continuing to grow enrollment and reaching out to potential learners where they are, using academic programs and certificates.
“I want to learn more about the student experience, for both undergraduate and graduate students, from recruitment to placement,” she said. “I also want to build relationships with stakeholders and identify how we can be a driver of workforce development.”