DURHAM, N.H. - Jon Wraith, interim dean of the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at the University of New Hampshire, has been named dean of the college through 2016. Wraith has served as interim dean since July 2011, when he succeeded Tom Brady, dean of COLSA since 2007.

"Jon has helped lead UNH to a position of prominence in sustainable agriculture and sustainable ecosystems, while also helping to define the research and educational agendas at the regional and national level. He is the right person to now help COLSA build strength in other areas identified by his faculty as core to the STEM and land-grant missions of the college," UNH Provost John Aber said. Aber also acknowledged Wraith's leadership, first as associate dean and then as interim dean, through difficult financial times.

Wraith has served for three years as associate dean for agriculture and director of the N.H. Agricultural Experiment Station. Before coming to UNH, he was a professor in the department of land resources and environmental sciences at Montana State University and head of that department for five years. 

"The college and experiment station have outstanding faculty, staff and students, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to help guide our many contributions to the state and nation. Our programs are in many respects more important than ever," Wraith said. "Students are keenly interested, and we're seeing the highest enrollments in the 146-year history of the college. The growing awareness of local agriculture and foods underscores the importance of sustaining our vital contributions in these and many other areas. UNH cares deeply about our students and stakeholders, and does an incredible job in supporting their needs. It's a pleasure to be a part of that."

The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at UNH comprises departments of biological sciences; molecular, cellular and biomedical sciences; natural resources and the environment; and the Thompson School of Applied Science, offering a wide spectrum of life science, agricultural and natural resources majors in associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. COLSA is made up of renowned faculty who combine teaching with a passion for research and public service. Their work to understand the nature of biological systems, manage and conserve natural resources, improve agricultural profitability and sustainability, enhance health and nutrition, and foster economic development has earned UNH nationwide recognition as a top-tier land, sea, and space grant university.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

Photograph available to download: /unhtoday/news/campusjournal/2012/Jun/27wraith_lg.jpg
Caption: Jon Wraith has been named dean of the University of New Hampshire's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA).
Credit: Lisa Nugent, UNH Photographic Services

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