Dr. Donald R. McDowell has been named the interim dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (SAES) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The appointment is effective July 1. McDowell will replace Dr. Alton Thompson, who will serve as N.C. A&T’s interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

“We look forward to Dr. McDowell’s continued leadership with an important school and an outstanding group of cutting-edge researchers,” said A&T Chancellor Stanley F. Battle. “N.C. A&T’s rich tradition is directly tied to our designation as an 1890 land-grant institution preparing students for careers involving food, agricultural, environmental and family and consumer sciences.”

“Dr. McDowell is the person for the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences,” said Thompson. “I’ve worked with Dr. McDowell as a faculty member, researcher, associate dean for academic programs and colleague, and he brings all the qualifications needed to this job. He has vision. He understands today’s agriculture and its many facets and he is willing to do what it takes to make sure that the “A” in N.C. A&T remains strong and vibrant.”

As well, added Thompson, “The administrators, faculty, staff and students in the SAES will all work in collaboration to keep the SAES’s current momentum going.”

McDowell, who has served as the SAES associate dean for academic programs since 2001, came to A&T in 1981 and has served as an instructor, assistant and associate professor, and professor. He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Southern University and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in agricultural economics.

In his current role, McDowell has been responsible for providing academic leadership to the SAES’s four academic departments. He has spearheaded SAES’s curriculum revitalization, faculty development, student experiential learning, student scholarships, honors programs, program assessment, and enrollment management. He has conducted research and teaching in agricultural marketing, price analysis, international trade and development, and agribusiness management.

McDowell has completed short-term assignments in Europe, Asia and Africa. He is a Kellogg Fellow, having successfully completed their leadership program, was selected as an Outstanding Black Agricultural Economist by the American Agricultural Economic Association Committee on the Opportunities and Status of Blacks in Agricultural Economics, was a visiting professor with Eli Lilly and Company, and has served as leader and officer on a number of professional, state and national committees and boards. He has published and presented numerous papers extensively in the areas of marketing, food expenditure, rural development, poverty, energy and other social areas.

McDowell is a prolific writer and presenter. He serves on the A&T Retention Committee, Enrollment Management Team, and the Reconsideration and Retention Committee. He has served as a member of the Graduate Council, Graduate Enrollment Committee, the Academic Advising and Retention Team, the University Tenure and Promotion Committee, and on dozens of other academic-related committees.

McDowell and his wife, Eugenia, have one son. He is a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church where he serves on the Deacon Board.