The LSU College of Agriculture names Allen Rutherford executive associate dean.

By Annabelle Lang

The LSU College of Agriculture has named Allen Rutherford executive associate dean. 

Rutherford has previously served as director of the College’s School of Renewable Natural Resource, interim associate dean in the College of Agriculture, interim department head of the Department of Experimental Statistics, interim director of the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, and interim head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

A professor of fish ecology, Rutherford has been with LSU for over 36 years.

He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from Baylor University and a doctorate in zoology from Oklahoma State University.

He joined LSU’s faculty to study fishes and water quality in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers. He has taught Ichthyology, Biology of Fishes, and Natural Resource Ecology in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and served the school in many capacities.

“I believe my interim experiences have given me a unique perspective on the interworkings of academic units in the College.  As the associate dean, I will work to promote the academic units on campus and strengthen the College’s connections with faculty on the research stations throughout the State.” 

In the role of executive associate dean, Rutherford will serve as a liaison between the directors and department head and the dean’s office. 

“ In the near term, I will assess all programmatic needs and will work to make college-based processes more efficient.  ”

Phil Elzer, director of the School of Animal Sciences, will serve as the interim director of the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences.