1-15 IAN Dean Folz

 UI agricultural college gets interim dean. The University of Idaho has appointed a temporary leader of its College of Agricultural and Life Sciences while it looks for a permanent replacement. The school in Moscow recently named John Foltz to the interim dean post. Foltz has been associate dean since 2004, as well as the 1,200-student agricultural college's director of academic programs. In those roles, he's helped manage the land-grant based college's 360 employees statewide, 10 research and extension centers and faculty based in 42 of Idaho's 44 counties. I called him up to introduce myself: “The new year has begun. Congratulations. Oh Thank you. I think it will be a little scizoid for a while.” Dr. Folz arrived at the University of Idaho in 1991 as an assistant professor in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. Foltz succeeds John Hammel, who has returned to the college's faculty after a nine-year stint serving as dean. The university plans to replace Foltz following a national search.