Keith Goyne named associate dean

In January, the college welcomed Keith Goyne into the new position of associate dean. He brings a background of academic leadership, excellence in teaching and advising, and robust research and scholarship to the position, as well as a personal commitment to the educational goals of land-grant universities.

Goyne will be a strategic partner and advisor to the dean, responsible for establishing and executing short- and long-term goals and initiatives, including support of the college’s advising center, enrollment management, diversity and inclusion, research portfolio and analysis, and the alignment of all functions with the college’s priorities, goals, and initiatives.

Goyne most recently served as associate director and professor of soil and environmental sciences in the University of Missouri’s School of Natural Resources. He holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate from the Pennsylvania State University.

As a graduate of a land-grant university, Goyne knows first-hand the impact that these schools can have on students. “The land-grant system provided an opportunity for me, as a first-generation college student from rural Pennsylvania, to break out of a cycle that is persistent in rural mountain communities. I’ve tried to pay that back in my work and pass the opportunity forward to the next generations,” he said.