MSU AgBioResearch, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources announce leadership changes

Former Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) interim dean Doug Buhler has been named director of MSU AgBioResearch and CANR senior associate dean for research, effective May 1.

Doug Buhler, director of MSU AgBioResearch and CANR senior associate dean for researchFormer Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) interim dean Doug Buhler has been named director of MSU AgBioResearch and CANR senior associate dean for research. The new appointment is effective May 1.  

Steve Pueppke, MSU AgBioResearch director for the past seven years, has been named director of CANR Global and Strategic Initiatives, a new position within the college. He will also continue in his role as MSU associate vice president for research and graduate studies. 

The changes were announced April 30 by CANR Dean Fred Poston, who succeeded Buhler from the college leadership post in January. Buhler had served as interim CANR dean since January 2011. Prior to that, he served as CANR associate dean for research, director of Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to Meet Economic and Environmental Needs) and MSU AgBioResearch associate director.

Buhler will be responsible for all research investments in the CANR and serve as the administrative lead of MSU AgBioResearch, a group of more than 300 researchers on campus from seven colleges.  Steve Pueppke, MSU CANR global and strategic initiatives directorPueppke will serve as administrative leader for CANR’s global programs.

Pueppke and Buhler will work together to ensure that domestic and international research agendas are integrated, Poston said.

“Their leadership will be essential in creating a strong, distinct identity for research in CANR, developing new partnerships at home, as well as globally, to address high-priority areas; and promote the growth in external funding across the mission area,” Poston said.   

Buhler, came to MSU in 2000, and served five years as chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.  Prior to joining MSU, he served on the faculty in the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Agronomy and as a research scientist the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service.

Born and raised on a dairy farm in southern Wisconsin, Buhler earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and his master’s and doctoral degrees (both in agronomy) from the University of Nebraska. 

Pueppke joined MSU in 2005. He was previously served as associate dean for research in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois and as a founding Director of ACES Global Connect.  

Pueppke earned his undergraduate degree in horticulture from MSU and his doctorate in plant pathology from Cornell University.  He was a visiting professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland and at the University of Marburg, Germany.

MSU AgBioResearch engages in innovative, leading-edge research that combines scientific expertise with practical experience to generate economic prosperity, sustain natural resources and enhance the quality of life in Michigan, the nation and the world. It encompasses the work of more than 300 scientists in seven MSU colleges—Agriculture and Natural Resources, Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Natural Science, Philosophy, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine—and has a network of 13 research centers across the state.

The founding college of MSU, the CANR encompasses a broad view of agriculture and natural resources, with academic programs in 13 departments, schools and programs including undergraduate and graduate programs.

Photo 1: Doug Buhler (top right), director of MSU AgBioResearch and CANR senior associate dean for research. Photo by Kurt Stepnitz.
Photo 2: Steve Pueppke, director of CANR Global and Strategic Initiatives and MSU associate vice president for research and graduate studies. Photo by Kurt Stepnitz.

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