Meet Mario Ferruzzi, incoming dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Mario Ferruzzi will join Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as its 12th dean on Oct. 15, bringing to the role more than two decades of experience in agriculture, food and nutrition science, leadership, and collaboration.

He most recently served as a professor and section chief in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service-funded Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center. His prior experiences includes being a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, a professor in Purdue's Colleges of Agriculture and Health and Human Sciences, and working as a Nestle research scientist and product developer.

Ferruzzi talked about his journey from a small North Carolina town and farm to Hutcheson Hall, how he hopes to lead the college, and his belief in the land-grant system.

Can you tell us about your background and how agriculture played a role in your early life?

My family has been in agriculture for generations. I grew up in Beaufort, North Carolina, spending time on Open Grounds Farm, a 45,000-acre farm that my dad developed and managed. He grew row crops you would expect – corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton – and also raised beef cattle. My father used to drive my brother and me around in his truck, diagnosing whatever he saw in the field. My earliest jobs as a teenager were field scouting at the farm and helping out with the cattle in the corral. 

My mother was a biochemist and immunologist working as a research scientist at the Duke University Marine Lab. As a result, our house was always a place where scientists and people working on the farm gathered to eat and have conversations around the dinner table – usually folks from Duke, North Carolina State University, and the agriculture sector in North Carolina. 

My family is very Italian. We moved to the U.S. from Italy in 1974, when I was an infant. Every summer, we went back to Italy and spent our time in what you would call a “cow town,” with smaller family farms leading into a large cooperative dairy, which my grandfather helped build.

So I grew up immersed in two cultures, experiencing both small and large-scale farming, which profoundly shaped my understanding of the vital role of agriculture and food production in the health of communities.

How did your upbringing influence your career path?

My parents exposed me to both farm and lab work, which turned out to be a perfect foundation for a career focusing on how food impacts health.

Growing up, my dad – an agronomist – would have us working on the farm, but I also accompanied my mom to her research lab. It gave me a keen appreciation of both worlds. By the time I went to college, I knew I wanted to work in the lab, so I majored in chemistry at Duke, even though I wasn’t sure at the time where it would lead. 

After college, a job at the North Carolina State University Seafood Laboratory was a turning point for me. It was there that I began to connect my early experiences with agriculture and chemistry to food production. My mentor there, Professor and Extension leader David Green, encouraged me to pursue graduate studies in food science and nutrition, which led to a career that blends science with what I consider to be the most critical thing we all do as individuals — eating.

What are the most gratifying experiences of your career so far?

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been teaching and mentoring students and seeing them become highly successful in their careers. In academia, our No. 1 product is people. We are preparing the next generation to be a driving force for enhancing the quality of life in our communities. There’s no greater privilege.

I also enjoy translating research into real-world impacts that bring tangible improvements to communities. For example, I recently worked as part of a team of researchers in Africa to develop sustainable, healthy food production in local communities by using fortification and crop biofortification to enhance nutrient availability and impact. It was fulfilling to see those villages not only improve the quality of their diets but also create entrepreneurial economic growth from the development and sale of those products. 

That’s what is so uniquely rewarding about the land-grant system. We are always challenged to think about translation of our science to positively impact people and communities.

What drew you to the dean’s position at Virginia Tech?

The reputation of Virginia Tech and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was a huge draw. So many people in my life who have been mentors, close friends, and colleagues are connected to Virginia Tech and they inspired a profound respect for both the college and the university. 

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is central to Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission and brings together strong agricultural production programs with connections to broader health, life sciences, and engineering disciplines in a dynamic environment that aligns with my professional goals.

I have a lot of experience in the land-grant environment, starting at Ohio State for graduate school, and in my work at Purdue and NC State. I’m excited to be returning to the land-grant system and a college with a rich tradition of serving the needs of the state and nation through its research, teaching, and Extension mission.

Dean Alan Grant has provided phenomenal leadership over the past 15 years, enabling me to step into a first-rate college that is at the national and global forefront of agriculture and life sciences.

What are your initial priorities as you step into the dean’s role?

My first priority is to listen and learn. Understanding the culture at Virginia Tech and the needs of our stakeholders – internally and across the state – will be vital. I aim to meet with as many people as I can, identify key areas where we can make an immediate impact, and set the stage for long-term growth. Building relationships with our faculty and staff, our students, and external stakeholders will be a major focus and I’m going to start that on Day 1.

What opportunities do you see for the future of the college?

There’s a powerful connection between production agriculture, food, and health that runs throughout the college’s disciplines. I believe we have a great opportunity to connect these systems with broader initiatives in public health and medicine. From this common ground, we can build productive relationships across the university and in the federal, state, local, and private sectors to amplify our programs, emphasize those connections, and achieve success on a larger scale. Our goal is to strengthen those relationships while continuing to focus on supporting and growing our production systems.

How do you plan to balance the diverse needs of stakeholders across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Cooperative Extension?

Listening is key. Each department and stakeholder group has unique needs, and understanding these is crucial to making informed decisions. I pride myself on listening and finding solutions through collaborative teams. If you look at my history, it’s all been partnerships – partnerships with the private sector, with government, other universities, other faculty. I plan to be a connector, helping different groups advance their missions while working toward common goals. Transparency and communication will be central to my approach.

What does Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), mean to you?

The Ut Prosim motto is a huge reason why Virginia Tech is a great cultural fit for me. Ut Prosim is not just lip service – it’s a motto that Hokies truly embrace and embody in their everyday lives and work. That aligns perfectly with my philosophy, which is that I want to do work that fundamentally serves and improves people’s lives – whether it’s through research that benefits communities, teaching and mentoring that shapes the next generation, or leadership that supports my colleagues. I’m excited to contribute to this culture of service at Virginia Tech.

How do you view the role of Extension in Virginia Tech?

Virginia Cooperative Extension is a cornerstone of the land-grant mission, bridging the gap between research and practical application. It plays a vital role in disseminating knowledge to the public; supporting local farmers, youth, and businesses; and addressing community needs. I see Extension as an integral partner in the success of our college and the Commonwealth of Virginia. All of us at Virginia Tech wear an Extension hat by virtue of being part of a land grant university.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role at Virginia Tech?

I'm most excited about just getting started and learning from the college’s alumni, faculty, students, industry, and all our stakeholders. I plan to maintain open lines of communication, foster collaboration, and ensure that all voices are heard. 

Also, I’m itching to get back into the classroom. I’d love to teach a class built around leadership in Virginia’s food and agriculture space, bringing in high-level speakers from academia, industry, and government.

I’m looking forward to building strong relationships with all the college’s stakeholders and doing amazing things together.