By LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Michigan State University scholar who specializes in animal science will grab the reins of Agricultural Research Programs (ARP) in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture on June 1.

As director of the ARP, Dr. Karen Plaut will provide administrative support to departments and faculty in the College of Agriculture, the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine.

“My goal is to help further and develop research programs at Purdue, and to embrace the excellence that’s already there. I will also help find funding for these programs,” Plaut said about her new position.

Plaut is currently the chair of MSU’s Department of Animal Science and said she was attracted to Purdue because of its research portfolio. “Purdue has a very strong agricultural college and they continue to invest in it. I think that bodes well for the future,” she explained.

A former professor of animal science at the University of Vermont, Plaut’s previous research has focused on mammary glands and lactation biology in dairy cows, which eventually led her to study breast cancer. She was also the lead scientist for a biological research project for the International Space Station for the NASA Ames Research Center in California.

As director of ARP at Purdue, her scope will include several disciplines, including horticulture and plant science. “That’s the fun part for me, I’ll get to learn a lot of new things,” she said.
The ARP encourages interdisciplinary research efforts, and Plaut believes that approach is key for the future. “Most of the big issues we’re facing today can’t be addressed within one department, whether it’s climate change, animal welfare or obesity,” she said.
While Plaut’s position primarily focuses on research and doesn’t include any teaching, she hopes to interact with grad students in different ways.

“One of the things I really like about Purdue is the ability to link research with teaching and extension,” she said. Finding funding for Purdue’s research programs in a time when university budgets everywhere are slashed could be the new ARP director’s biggest challenge.

“The bottom line is that there are budget issues everywhere in higher education. Because of that, I think each institution needs to focus on what it’s good at, and Purdue is really good at agriculture. And engineering, of course,” she added. “I don’t think anybody is immune to (budget cuts), but I think it’ll allow us to move ahead in certain areas.”

“Dr. Plaut’s exceptional accomplishments as a research scientist and her proven record of academic leadership make her ideally suited for this position,” said Jay Akridge, the Glenn W. Sample dean of the College of Agriculture, in a statement. “I could not be more excited about the potential for our College of Agriculture research enterprise with Dr. Plaut in the lead.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from UVM, a master’s in animal nutrition from Penn State University and a doctoral in animal science from Cornell University. She will replace the interim director of ARP, Dr. Mark Hermodson, who assumed the position when Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy was appointed dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University last year.