The Director has leadership and administrative responsibilities for encouraging and supporting ongoing academic excellence in cutting-edge research, education, and outreach in the School. The Director will represent the School, strengthen existing partnerships, and develop new liaisons and partnerships with stakeholders locally, statewide, nationally, and globally.  LSU System’s plan for its role, scope, and mission as a leading academic institution provides the framework for research, teaching, and outreach activities and the Director will take the lead in developing a strategic plan for the School that is consistent with current and future plans for excellence. Specific duties will include administration of scholarly programs; mentoring of faculty, staff, and students for professional growth and advancement; oversight and administration of curricula; recruitment of new faculty and students; serving as a liaison with LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and other organizations including state, national, and international academic and private or governmental institutions.  Effectively manage the fiscal, human and physical resources of the department, and evaluate the performance of the department and its faculty and staff.  Facilitate working relationships with regional, parish, and station offices and other departments within the LSU Agricultural Center. Catalyze extramural funding and collaborations with industry stakeholders, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations with scientists from other departments within the LSU system.  This is a joint position between campuses of the LSU Agricultural Center and LSU A&M with the primary appointment being through the LSU Agricultural Center.  The school director’s responsibilities are performed in a manner that is non-discriminatory on the basis of race, creed, color, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran's status.  The school director reports to the Vice President for Agriculture through the program leaders of the LSU Agricultural Center campus and the executive associate dean of the College of Agriculture of the LSU A&M campus.