Dear friends and colleagues,
Hello, and welcome to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland. We are affectionately known as AGNR, with roots that run deep into the history of the state of Maryland as the university's founding institution in 1856, which gives us the exclusive honor of being the Cornerstone College of this top-tier institution. I am humbled and honored to work with such fine faculty and staff, and to play a role in curating a world-class educational experience for our students.
I am a husband and a father of 3, a devoted music fan, a motorcycle afficionado, a Seinfeld super fan, and a dog lover. Having made my way to Maryland by way of California, Indiana, Arkansas, and Colorado, I am constantly inspired by the landscape and the people that inhabit it. The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, the coastal communities, the dense, forested land, the urban DMV corridor - their intersection make for a fascinating place to live and also work as AGNR tries to improve quality of life for residents whose geographic circumstances present different challenges on a daily basis. There is tremendous pride in being a Terp, and a great devotion to the state - two responsibilities that I take very seriously.
While I am a soil scientist by training with a particular love for the natural resources, what continues to attract me to our college is the diversity of our pursuit, and the range of issues we are working to solve. Mitigating climate change, enhancing the urban environment, improving food and nutritional security, ensuring healthy watersheds, and advancing sustainable ag production systems are all issues that hit my periphery on a daily basis. What a wonderful place to help build a better tomorrow, and to encourage our students to step out of the classroom and apply these principles to solve some of the most pressing and relevant issues of our time. Now into my second term as dean, I'm excited to take our college to new heights across research, academics, and Extension, and to enhance the livelihoods of those we are bound to serve as the university's primary steward of the land-grant mission. We've already made some grand strides, but there is more yet to be done.
I look forward to seeing you around campus, and Go Terps!
Warmly,
Craig Beyrouty
Academic Background and Bio for Dr. Beyrouty
Dr. Craig Beyrouty became dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) at the University of Maryland in November of 2015. In this role, he oversees the College of AGNR’s diverse on-campus departments and programs, serves as director of the college’s statewide non-formal educational outreach system, University of Maryland Extension, and as director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, which operates four research and education centers located throughout the state.
Dean Beyrouty has been involved in teaching, research and extension for more than 35 years. He joined the University of Maryland from Colorado State University, where he served as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. Previously he held positions as professor and head of Agronomy at Purdue University and professor at the University of Arkansas. He has led and participated in international research, teaching and administrative activities all across the world, in places such as Rwanda, Tokyo, Madrid, and Moscow, among many more.
Dr. Beyrouty is a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. He has served as vice chair of the International Rice Root Working Group and president of the Plant Root Environment Working Group. In 1983, he received the George Scarseth Research Award.
Dr. Beyrouty earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in soil chemistry from Purdue University and a B.S. in soil science from Cal Poly State University. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, he mapped soils for the Soil Conservation Service and was a research scientist for Castle and Cooke Foods in Illinois.
To contact Dean Beyrouty's office, call 301-405-2072, or click here.