BROOKINGS – Daniel Scholl, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at South Dakota State University, has been named the university’s next vice president for research and economic development.
The appointment is pending approval by the South Dakota Board of Regents and comes following a national search.
“Daniel’s depth of professional experiences, not only at South Dakota State University, but also throughout his career, will help elevate research at our university,” said SDSU President Barry Dunn. “His expectations were aligned with those of the search committee, myself and other university leaders. It has been stated on several occasions that we are very committed to expanding the research portfolio of our university and Dr. Scholl will be instrumental in leading that effort.”
Scholl has served as the interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences since May 2016. He previously held the position of associate dean for research of the college and director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station since 2011.
Scholl came to SDSU from the Université de Montréal, where he did clinical epidemiology research and programmatic leadership and teaching as a faculty member of veterinary medicine. He also spent part of his career at Louisiana State University and the Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands in teaching and research capacities. Scholl has nearly a decade of clinical service focused on animal care and disease prevention while at LSU.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to serve the faculty and leadership of SDSU in this very important role,” Scholl said. “Researchers at SDSU are well positioned to contribute new knowledge and innovations in ways that are unique among institutions. I am thrilled to be able to leverage my professional experience and work with so many talented individuals across multiple disciplines and advance the research and scholarship of this university as outlined by President Dunn and others.”
As associate dean for research at SDSU, the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences experienced approximately a 50 percent growth in grant and contract awards under his leadership to $21 million annually. Scholl helped lead the launch of “South Dakota Ag 2020,” a broad-based research strategy that renewed the research infrastructure, provided better support processes and gave leadership a platform from which to engage aggressively with sponsors and potential sponsors of research.
Scholl earned his bachelor’s degree, doctor of veterinary medicine and master of preventive veterinary medicine from the University of California, Davis. He has a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the Universiteit Utrecht.
Scholl will begin his new role July 1. Don Marshall, currently an associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, will replace Scholl as interim dean of the college. A national search for a permanent dean will begin later this summer.
