Renee Boyer appointed College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' assistant dean of graduate research programs
The former food science and technology department head aims to bolster and align the college’s graduate programs in her new role.
Boyer began her new role on May 10 after five years as head of the Department of Food Science and Technology. Photo by Virginia Tech.
After five years heading Virginia Tech's Department of Food Science and Technology, Renee Boyer has been named assistant dean for graduate research programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). She assumed the role on May 10.
The new position will leverage her experience as a longtime mentor of graduate students and as Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist to strengthen and unify the college’s graduate programs.
As assistant dean of graduate research programs, Boyer will work to boost enrollment; align the departments’ efforts for recruiting, graduate handbooks, and professional development; and enhance the college’s competitiveness for training grants and fellowships. She also will oversee the collection and analysis of critical data related to post-graduation success, degree time, and funding.
“I am excited and honored to be asked to lead these efforts at the college level,” Boyer said. “We are at a critical time where dedicated, focused effort on graduate students and graduate student programs will be pivotal to the college’s growth. I look forward to identifying additional ways to distinguish CALS graduate programs from those of other land grant institutions."
Boyer – who has been with the college for over 20 years – can trace her career with the college back to her student days. She joined the food science faculty after earning her Ph.D. from the department in 2006 and served as a professor and Extension specialist there until being named interim department head in 2020. The following year, she was selected as department head.
Boyer presents former food science student Auja Bywater with a scholarship award for her graduate research at the Department of Food Science and Technology's annual student scholarship awards ceremony. Photo by Alex Hood for Virginia Tech.
The creation of this position comes out of new Dean Mario Ferruzzi’s efforts to identify strategic priorities and growth areas for the college. Ferruzzi joined the college in October and quickly set out to meet with as many faculty, students, and stakeholders as possible. He said those meetings highlighted a need for more coordinated graduate programming.
“Graduate students are the lifeblood of the CALS research and discovery enterprise,” Ferruzzi said. "We must look to continuously innovate in our recruitment, funding, and training programs to continue to be competitive and grow our impact, including the development of the next generation of scientists. Dr. Boyer’s work in this role is critical to our success as a college, and her background as a longtime mentor to graduate students tells me she’s the right person to do it.”
In her time at Virginia Tech, Boyer has led a variety of Extension initiatives to bolster food safety education among consumers and food producers, published numerous research papers on foodborne illness prevention, and shepherded countless students through their graduate educations.
Boyer has contributed to funded projects totaling more than $38 million, with over $2 million directly supporting her own research and Extension work. Her program focuses on studying the safety and contamination risks of food preparation practices used by both industry professionals and home cooks. She has also created outreach initiatives to improve the safety of local foods and to teach consumers how to safely can foods at home. Her many recognitions include the Gamma Sigma Delta Extension Award of Merit, the Andy Swiger Land Grant Award, and the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension.
Joseph Eifert will step in as interim head of the Department of Food Science and Technology while Boyer transitions into her new position. Eifert is another longtime food science faculty member who has been with the department in various roles since 1998, most recently serving as the department’s director of graduate programs.
“Joe shares my deep love for the Department of Food Science and Technology, and I am leaving it in good hands with him,” Boyer said. “Working to support students and help them achieve their goals has always been my passion, and I’m excited about the opportunity to work on a broader scale across the college to support graduate student success.”