Veteran agriculture researcher Dr. Mickey Latour is set to become dean of the College of Agriculture. A full professor at both Purdue University and Southern Illinois University during his career, he served as the dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at SIU in Carbondale for five years. Latour earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in animal science at Mississippi State. More details are in the news release.

Congratulations to Dr. Lillie Fears, professor of multimedia journalism production, who was named 2020 recipient of the Thomas E. Patterson Education Award at the annual King Kennedy Awards ceremony. In celebration of Black History Month, the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus honored Fears and eight other Arkansans. Since 2005, the King Kennedy Awards have recognized outstanding individuals who positively impact their communities and the state.

Dr. Marcus Tribbett, assistant professor of English, presented a paper to the annual South Central Modern Languages Association in Little Rock. The paper, “ ‘Pulling all the weight of history behind him . . . Like a cotton sack full of lead’: Locating Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing in the Blues Novel Tradition,” also is the basis of his essay of the same title recently published in the Journal of Ethnic American Literature.

A blog post by Dr. Rebecca Barrett-Fox, assistant professor of sociology, was referenced in a National Public Radio online report as a particularly popular internet commentary about faculty who are newly thrust into teaching classes online because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Barrett-Fox shares notes from her experience with online teaching and her perspective on the challenges faced both by faculty and by students.

Inaugural members of the A-State College of Veterinary Medicine Task Force have been named by its chair, Dr. Donald “Bud” Kennedy, interim dean, College of Agriculture. Joining previously named members, Provost Alan Utter and Dr. Summer Deprow, assistant vice chancellor for assessment and accreditation, are 12 other members from the university and local community. Faculty members appointed include Dr. David Newman, associate professor of animal science, Arianne Pait, assistant professor of communications disorders, and Dr. John Hershberger, associate professor of chemistry.

Others are Jerry Miller, D.V.M., co-owner of Veterinary Healthcare Clinic and president-elect, Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association, and Randall Pope, College of Agriculture’s Advisory Council, are community participants. Recently appointed dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Cherisse Jones-Branch, Dr. Lynn Boyd, dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Dr. Tom Risch, vice chancellor for research and technology transfer and executive director of ABI, and Dr. Karen Wheeler, senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, represent A-State administration. Incoming Dean of Agriculture Dr. Mickey Latour will join the committee at its next meeting. System Office representatives are Katherine Prescott, senior associate general counsel, and Jeff Hankins, vice president for strategic communications and economic development. More details are online.