Mario Ferruzzi named dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech
Mario Ferruzzi, professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and director of Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, has been named the next dean of the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Ferruzzi will officially step into his new role on Oct. 15, succeeding Alan Grant, who is retiring after serving as dean since October 2009.
“Strength of leadership and a vision for elevating research and scholarship to advance Virginia Tech’s strategic priorities are critical to our position and progress as a global land-grant institution,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke. “Mario brings both to his role as the new dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and I look forward to working closely with him to serve and support the college’s faculty, staff, and students.”
Since 2021, Ferruzzi has been a professor and is serving as chief of the Section of Developmental Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at UAMS, where he was named the inaugural Arkansas Children’s Endowed Chair in Digestive Disease and Nutrition Research. As director of Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, a cooperative partnership between Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, he leads one of six Human Nutrition Research Centers nationally in their research vision to enhance parental and child health through the science of food, nutrition, and physical activity.
Previously, Ferruzzi served on faculty within the Departments of Food Science and Nutrition Science at Purdue University from 2004-16 and as a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor at the Plants for Human Health Institute and the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University from 2016-21.
Ferruzzi holds leadership roles on national and international boards supporting priorities for agriculture, food, and nutrition sciences. He is a current member of the USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board and serves on the Board for the International Food Information Council and the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Science. He also serves on numerous scientific advisory boards across both public and private sectors
Agriculture, Virginia’s largest private industry, generates an economic impact of $82.3 billion annually and provides more than 381,800 jobs. This substantial contribution underscores the importance of the dean’s position within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which is dedicated to improving the well-being of all.
“It is an incredible honor to join the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech – a tremendous university and college with a distinguished history of improving lives through its teaching, research, and outreach,” Ferruzzi said. “I look forward to working with students, staff, faculty, alumni, Virginia Cooperative Extension, industry partners, and all our stakeholders to advance our reputation and impact as a global land-grant institution – in Virginia and beyond.”
Ferruzzi earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Duke University and master’s and doctoral degrees in food science and nutrition from the Ohio State University.
His professional honors and awards include the Purdue Agricultural Research Award and the American Society for Nutrition’s Gilbert A. Leveille Lectureship and Award, which recognizes outstanding research at the interface of nutrition science and food technology.
Grant, who has served the college as dean since 2009, will retire after 15 years at Virginia Tech.
“I want to sincerely thank Alan Grant for his exemplary leadership and service to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech over the past 15 years, and for his partnership in building a strong foundation for future success for the college and our university,” said Clarke.
