Richard Roush will step down as dean of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences this month after nine years in the role, the university announced on Friday.
Starting Sept. 17, Roush will be special adviser to the interim dean until his retirement in December. László Kulcsár, head of the college’s Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education, will serve as interim dean until a permanent replacement is named following a national search.
“Although this was a difficult decision, it is the right decision,” Roush wrote in an email to the college on Thursday.
Roush and his wife, Robyn Krause-Hale, plan to move back to Australia, where their children and grandchildren live, after his retirement. Roush was a professor at the University of Adelaide from 1995 to 200 a dean and a professor at the University of Melbourne prior to his time at Penn State.
Under Roush’s leadership, the College of Ag Sciences had a record $114.3 million in research expenditures in 2021-22 and Penn State had more graduate students earn U.S. Department of Agriculture postdoctoral fellowships over the last five years than any other institution.
“We appreciate all that Rick has done in leading the College of Agricultural Sciences over the past nine years to support and grow the college’s vital teaching, research and outreach efforts,” Justin Schwartz, executive vice president and provost, said in a statement. “The college’s work is not only an important part of Penn State’s land-grant mission, but also has been instrumental in tackling many of the broader issues facing the world today.”
Since his appointment in 2014, the college has played a role in addressing state, national and global issues, including formation of the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, supporting water quality in Pennsylvania, limiting the impact of the invasive spotted lanternfly, combatting avian influenza and expanding Extension’s digital education and resources.
With in the college, the percentage of tenure-track female faculty members in has increased from 18.5% in 2015 to 35% during his tenure.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime working with all of you during my tenure here,” Roush wrote. “Our College has incredibly talented faculty, educators, and staff. I am very proud that together we have accomplished a great deal, with a strong trajectory for the future.”
