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Dean's Message — A Look Back

This is a special edition of Catching Up with CALS — my final one after nine years serving as the dean of CALS. It’s hard to know where to begin, but I will start by saying that it has been the highlight of my 45-year academic career to serve as the dean of this great college. For those who do not know my background, I started as an assistant professor of entomology at the University of California, Riverside in 1980 and relocated to the UC Davis campus in 1988, where I served as a professor and administrator until joining the Vandal family in 2016.

If you review the History of CALS (pdf) by Clifton Anderson you will see a university and college that have done great things, but with a history marked by budget shortfalls and budget cuts. And Anderson’s account only goes to the mid 1990s — after which there were additional negative budget scenarios in the ensuing decades.

Except for a budget cut that the U of I campus took in 2021, CALS did not have to deal with a budget crisis or budget shortfalls during my tenure. I have said many times that I became the dean of CALS at the right time — we could focus on revenue generation, hiring great new faculty, inspiring core faculty and building new facilities. This has been a very productive nine years for CALS.

I really like a quote from the boxer Mohammad Ali (and recently applied to the basketball great Stephen Curry): “The will must be greater than the skill.” I think this quote applies to how I have managed the college and speaks to the success we have enjoyed. I have the will, passion, ideas and drive to move the college and institution forward, but I lack the requisite skill to make it all happen. That is where the team comes in — specifically the insight and leadership provided by CALS deans and directors and the broader college leadership. They bought into the vision and worked incredibly hard to make it happen.

At times, there were many spirited discussions, but there has been no doubt that upper administration on campus has supported the efforts by CALS. You cannot move a college forward without internal support from the President and Provosts’ offices, the Office of Research and Economic Development, Division of Finance and Administration, Facilities, Office of Information Technology, Strategic Enrollment Management, Human Resources, the 魅影直播 Foundation and University Communications and Marketing.

On campus support and interaction are very important, but it is difficult to move a college forward with just this backing. We have been able to tap into the passionate support for CALS and agriculture that exists in the state. In some ways, this community was hungry for ideas and a vision from CALS that they could support and they weren’t afraid to tell us what they needed. We listened and we feel we gave that to them. We have an outstanding group of dedicated development officers that were able to leverage their fundraising by connecting with individual stakeholders and agricultural commissions that amplified the overall effort. That, together with an incredibly effective CALS marketing and communications group working seamlessly with development, government and external relations and financial management in the college, has been critical to our success.

With the combination of CALS, the broader U of I, stakeholders and commissions working together, we were able to create very powerful narratives around new capital projects and faculty hiring that resonated with the governor, legislature and our federal delegation. Every year that I have been the dean we have been successful in securing increased resources from the legislature. In addition, CALS has enjoyed yearly increases in financial support from county board of commissioners across Idaho highlighting the cooperation between counties and UI Extension.

It takes time and effort to maintain, develop and repair relationships off campus. I classified myself as an “off campus dean” and recognized early on in my tenure that without these strong relationships, the college would be treading water and not moving forward. Increasing the visibility of CALS in the Magic Valley and in southeastern Idaho was a priority. One of the many acknowledgements I have received as the dean was a retirement card signed by the front desk employees of the Hampton Inn in downtown Boise. I got to know many who signed that card given my frequent trips to the southern and eastern part of the state. The Hampton Inn in Boise and Twin Falls were my home away from home and speaks to how much time I have invested off campus.

We were able to accomplish many goals that none of us thought would be possible. In fact, when I discussed what I was planning to accomplish with the president of U of I when I first started as dean, the response was, “You cannot possibly do all those things!” A large part of the strategy was to take risks on a campus known to be very risk adverse. That does not mean we were reckless in how we approached capital projects — the risk was always calculated and we aways had plan “b” and “c” ready to go if plan “a“ fell apart. President Scott Green has told me repeatedly that “Hope is not a good strategy.” While we were confident that the planning would come together financially, “hope that we could pull it off” was still at the core. Our results speak for themselves.

A list of capital projects we have undertaken the past nine years include: acquisition of the Sandpoint Organic Agricultural Center (Sandpoint), building the Seed Potato Germplasm Laboratory (Moscow), building the Meat Science and Innovation Center Honoring Ron Richard (Moscow), building the Deep Soil Ecotron (Moscow), expansion of the Sixth Street Greenhouses (Moscow), renovation of the Food Research Center and the Niccolls Building to benefit faculty and students in the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences (Moscow), acquiring a new classroom/meeting facility for the U of I Sheep Center (Moscow), building the Idaho Center for Plant and Soil Health (Parma), building a classroom and office space at the Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center (Salmon), a new barn/central location at Rinker Rock Creek Ranch (Hailey) and building the Idaho Center for Agriculture Food and the Environment (CAFE) in Rupert.

These facility projects have transformed the college — but they are not productive by themselves. I have said many times that I am only as good a dean as the faculty I represent, and we have hired some extraordinary early career faculty who are exceeding expectations with their teaching, research, outreach/engagement and Extension programming. In addition, many mid/later career faculty have been energized to move their programs forward to the benefit of industry stakeholders — increasing the reputation and cachet of CALS and U of I. In many situations, I capitalized on the reputation of established faculty to launch fundraising campaigns for some of these capital projects. Without the accomplishments and impact of these researchers, many of the capital projects would not have been successful.

I want to acknowledge the CALS Dean’s Advisory Board for their guidance and wisdom over these past nine years. Chaired by Mr. Rick Waitley, this group provided critical direction and support as we navigated both the good and the stressful times. This 25-member advisory board (representing agricultural and life science research, teaching and Extension interests statewide) devote their time and treasure to making the college better.

I recently came across a quote, “Delay is the enemy of life.” When I took the position as dean of CALS, I looked forward to more fly-fishing experiences in this incredible state. In fact, the Catching Up with CALS newsletter title was developed with a fishing theme in mind. Much of that never came to pass as I was too focused on being the dean. One of the gifts I have received during my time here was a fly rod from the Genesee FFA chapter, built in Vandal colors, with “Go Vandals” on the rod. The delay is over — I plan to give that rod the workout it deserves. I also plan to spend much more time with my family and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren. I mentioned early in this message that I started at UC Riverside in June 1980. My wife Debbie and I got married in August of 1980, and this August we will celebrate our 45th anniversary. She has been incredibly supportive of my career, and I look forward to spending these retirement years together. I cannot begin to pay back what she has sacrificed for me.

I announced my retirement more than one year ago, with the idea that the campus would be able to plan a smooth transition — dean to dean — without an interim dean. Timing is one aspect of the transition, but the more important piece is a transition where the new dean is briefed on the current state of the college — especially with respect to the budget. In my 45 years in academia, this type of transition never happens. Given the uncertainty of funding at the state and federal levels, combined with all the activity currently in the college, transferring as much information as possible to the new dean is critical. I am pleased to say that CALS leadership has met with incoming Dean Leslie Edgar many times and all are excited about working with her. With Dean Edgar’s background and experience, I am confident she will continue to move the college and U of I forward and put her own stamp on CALS.

Michael P. Parrella

Dean
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Our Stories

Meat Science Team Hosts Albertsons Training

About 20 meat cutters with Albertsons Companies sharpened their skills during a recent training workshop that 魅影直播鈥檚 meat science team facilitated at the True West Beef plant in Jerome.

Phil Bass, an associate professor of meat science, and graduate student, Corbin Fornes, conducted the training for members of the Albertsons Intermountain Meat Leadership Team in May.

U of I has offered regular meat cutting training as a service to Idaho retailers throughout the past eight years. The recent training was a collaboration also involving the Idaho Beef Council and True West Beef. U of I typically leads two trainings per year.

鈥淲e鈥檝e done these workshops in the past with different retailers, and what we see is the excitement of the meat case increases in stores in those regions because folks are learning more of where their products come from,鈥� Bass said, adding establishing ties with industry aids in student placement.

Most retail meat cutters learn on the job, receiving instruction from more experienced peers. Bass seeks to give workshop participants a more wholistic view of meat science, which helps meat cutters better respond to customers鈥� questions about how to use various meat products. Participants learn which parts of the carcass yield specific cuts, as well as the characteristics and attributes of those cuts.

鈥淎 lot of them have worked up through the company. They鈥檝e cut steaks and roasts, but not a lot of them have had a chance to cut whole carcasses before,鈥� Bass said. 鈥淭his was to empower them. These are folks talking to the general consumer, who needs to have education about how to prepare something.鈥�

During the first afternoon of the training, Bass led the group in whole carcass fabrication. The following day, the group discussed general meat science concepts such as aging and color. They further broke down some of the meat they鈥檇 cut during the prior day into steaks and roasts and focused on merchandizing. The meat cutters were also impressed by the efficiency and cleanliness of the True West plant.

鈥淚t was obvious these folks felt more empowered to go back and tell the story of meat and beef cuts back in their communities,鈥� Bass said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to build teamwork, and once they leave these trainings, they鈥檙e usually excited about their job and excited to talk to customers about different cuts of meat and how to prepare them.鈥�

U of I has also hosted trainings at the Moscow campus and will have a modern facility for future workshops once the college opens an 11,000-square-foot new abattoir, the Meat Science and Innovation Center Honoring Ron Richard, this fall. U of I also hosted past workshops at CS Beef Packers in Kuna, and the university trained meat department managers with Broulim鈥檚 Fresh Foods at the Brigham Young University-Idaho campus in Rexburg last year.

鈥淔or the folks we鈥檝e worked with in the past, it definitely increases employee retention and satisfaction, and meat packers who go through trainings have noticeable increases in meat sales,鈥� Bass said.

Dietetics Alumnae Recognized

A 魅影直播 family and consumer sciences alumnae will receive the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics鈥� 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, the organization鈥檚 highest honor.

Darlene Dougherty, 鈥�65, food and nutrition, will be presented with the award during the 2025 Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee, in October. She was nominated by Hydee Becker, a clinical associate professor and director of dietetics within U of I鈥檚 Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Dougherty works as a medical nutrition therapist with Banner Lassen Medical Center in Susanville, California, where she makes recommendations for diet and nutritional support, provides nutrition counseling and assists in policy and procedure development for culinary services.

Dougherty has held elected and appointed leadership roles at the academy鈥檚 practice group, district, state and national levels and has helped shape its governance policy and professional development efforts. She鈥檚 represented the academy in congressional hearings, at industry conferences and in national media interviews, and she advocated for reimbursement of registered dietitian services to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In her nomination letter, Becker wrote how Dougherty鈥檚 career has spanned more than 50 years and has influenced policy, education, practice, research and mentorship.

鈥淒arlene鈥檚 leadership is built on a foundation of service, mentorship and a relentless pursuit of excellence,鈥� Becker wrote. 鈥淪he is the person who sees potential before others recognize it in themselves, often giving that first encouraging nudge toward leadership or innovation.鈥�

Dougherty has prior experience working as a management consultant, a nutrition educator, a nutrition specialist aiding underserved populations, a lecturer at several colleges and universities, an affordable housing compliance auditor, an administrative assistant with a housing authority, a team nutrition trainer, editor of a monthly newsletter focused on hospital food and nutrition, a director of dietetic internship experiences, a consultant specializing in computer-based management information systems for food service operations, a therapeutic surgical dietitian, a therapeutic staff dietician and a grant administrator.

She was one of the first dietitians who developed computer systems for nutrition and dietetics, and she was often called upon to share her expertise.

Furthermore, she鈥檚 published volumes of papers and she is a frequent public speaker.

Igniting Community Service

Since returning from the 2025 , Jed Davis, of Weiser, has been spearheading development of a plan to protect livestock, poultry and small animals in his rural community from devastating wildfires.

Davis was among 19 魅影直播 Extension 4-H Youth Development members who participated in the summit, which was hosted March 12-16 in Washington, D.C.

This year marked the third group from Idaho to travel to the summit, which is open to youth ages 14 to 19 and includes hands-on workshops to raise participants’ awareness about career opportunities in STEM, agricultural science and healthy living.

The National 4-H Council also empowers youth at the summit to identify and consider ways to tackle a problem in their community through a community action planning platform called . Some of the youth, including Davis, apply for a grant through the program to implement their ideas upon returning home.

Davis lives on a small farmstead with four horses, a cow, chickens, ducks and rabbits. Last summer, he was deeply concerned when wildfires scorched rangeland and forced home evacuations in the Weiser area. He learned the Washington County Fairgrounds temporarily houses displaced animals during such emergencies, but many people are unaware of the option, require help to transport their animals or lack sufficient feed once their animals are relocated.

Davis has been developing a phone tree of willing volunteers to help evacuate animals and aid in transporting them to the fairgrounds during future wildfires. He’s also been soliciting pledges from residents and feed stores to donate feed to help wildfire victims maintain their animals during the next emergency.

“If a fire gets started, people need to move quickly before the fire can spread and harm the animals,” Davis said. “In Weiser, this is the biggest issue I’ve seen. I hate it when people get pushed out of their houses and their animals don’t have a place to stay, and I thought more could be done to help them.”

Davis has also begun working on a flyer to educate homeowners about fire safety.

About half of the Idaho youth who attended the summit have been working on Lead to Change projects. Participants’ costs are partially covered by a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant.

“They came back so excited about all of the different things they brought back,” said Teresa Tverdy, state 4-H program specialist. “It got them reenergized to the point that they felt like yes, they do have a purpose, and yes there are things they ought to be doing.”

Youth who attended the summit also had the opportunity to tour national monuments and historic places, and many of them had never previously traveled on an airplane prior to traveling to the event. Registration for the 2026 summit will open in August.

“That positive youth development experience contributes to who they are as a person and how they value their community,” said Mike Knutz, an area Extension educator specializing in 4-H. “A study found 4-H youth are four times more likely to give back to their community.”

Faces and Places

Adamarie Marquez Acevedo, a doctorate student studying animal physiology with Associate Professor Amy Skibiel, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student award to study and conduct research in Uruguay. Marquez Acevedo will be working with Adjunct Professor Mercedes García-Roche at the Universidad de la República in Montevideo, Uruguay to study how lactating cows shift their metabolism to respond to immune threats during lactation and explore the possible cellular pathways through which a cow coordinates this metabolic shift.

Kaci Ralstin, regional director with U.S. Senator James Risch, and Lauren Young, regional director with U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, recently presented Dean Michael P. Parrella with a letter from the entire Idaho delegation, thanking him for his service and congratulating him on his retirement.