{"id":100637,"date":"2025-02-26T14:11:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T14:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=100637"},"modified":"2025-02-26T14:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T14:11:47","slug":"cels-dean-john-kirby-to-retire-after-15-years-of-leadership-and-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2025\/02\/cels-dean-john-kirby-to-retire-after-15-years-of-leadership-and-service\/","title":{"rendered":"CELS dean John Kirby to retire after 15 years of leadership and service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Feb. 26, 2025 \u2013 The University mantra during John Kirby\u2019s years here has been \u201cthink big, we do,\u201d but he admits that one of the initial draws for him to come to the 溏心vlog免费B站 was the fact that it was such a small place\u2014geographically, that is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby came to 溏心vlog免费B站 from the plains and wide-open spaces of South Dakota, with a sizable curriculum vitae to match, and a commitment to the unique mission of land-grant universities. He was previously on the faculty at the University of Arkansas before serving as director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station at South Dakota State University, where he was also associate dean for research of the university\u2019s College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby first heard about the opportunity at 溏心vlog免费B站 from a friend and colleague from Arkansas who had moved to New England for a position in Connecticut and was touting the benefits of working in the smaller states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe expounded the virtues of living in a state you could crisscross in a day, as opposed to South Dakota, where I\u2019d have to hop on a plane to fly to the outlying ag stations,\u201d Kirby said with a laugh. With a diverse background that touched on all the areas the college was looking for, Kirby decided to apply, and made the move across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Shown at the University\u2019s first annual international graduate student research showcase, Kirby leaves a legacy of international impact at 溏心vlog免费B站 and beyond. His dedication to fostering international partnerships expanded the University\u2019s global impact.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Clearly, the job proved to be a good fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby is now the longest serving of the University\u2019s deans, having served as dean of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) since 2010, a trusted mentor, colleague and friend to many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJohn is a champion of our University\u2019s land-grant mission,\u201d says Provost Barbara Wolfe. \u201cHe has connected the college\u2019s research, education and extension efforts for the betterment of the University and the state of Rhode Island.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange says Kirby\u2019s dedication to fostering international partnerships expanded the University\u2019s global impact in ecosystems research.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Thanks to Dean Kirby, programs like the college\u2019s Summer Fellowship program give students in CELS ample opportunities for experiential learning and undergraduate research.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cUnder John\u2019s guidance, CELS has seen significant growth in research initiatives, with major projects funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,\u201d Parlange said. \u201cI am grateful for his leadership and friendship and for the contributions and lasting impact he\u2019s had on 溏心vlog免费B站.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branching off in new directions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s next? Kirby is wrapping things up at 溏心vlog免费B站, with March 8 his last day, heading off to a relaxing spring break at the same time 溏心vlog免费B站 students will take their break, though his is the extended version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving 溏心vlog免费B站 will also give him more time for his off-campus interests. He\u2019s looking forward to having time for other pursuits and planning to spend more time with his bonsai, a fitting career coda for an environmental college dean, and a collection started, incredibly, in 1968. The bonsai even traveled to Arkansas and South Dakota with him before coming to New England with Kirby and his wife, arriving in a small fleet of 26-foot trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby says the bonsai have provided a good way for him to recharge as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Retirement will give him more time for his bonsai and other pursuits; shown, a Japanese Red Pine (Akamatsu). Kirby has a bonsai nursery, started in 1968, and plans to spend more time there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt keeps you centered,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That green escape was welcome as Kirby led the college through challenging times, arriving at the University in the wake of the 2009 economic collapse, and later leading the college through the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty members who have worked for Kirby note that his time at 溏心vlog免费B站 has been bookended by major transitions, changing landscapes, and different 溏心vlog免费B站 presidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven with these constraints, he’s been a strong leader for the college, applying a vision for increasing our capacity to tackle coastal and marine issues, while maintaining our strengths in other areas,\u201d says Christopher Lane, chair of biological sciences. \u201cJohn has been creative in using the land-grant center of the college to leverage opportunities for new faculty, while identifying ways to encourage existing faculty to find their strengths and lean into them. He has been a fierce advocate for his faculty taking on larger roles at the University and beyond, while still engaging faculty within departments. He is going to leave big shoes to fill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby credits his time in the military with providing him the skills to work with people through times of change, and invaluable leadership career training. He served as a Polish linguist in the U.S. Air Force during the height of the Cold War, completing extensive language training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California for that role. The training taught him a language, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n

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After overseeing several commencements at 溏心vlog免费B站, and providing leadership for the college\u2019s academic, research and outreach programs, now it\u2019s time for Dean Kirby to \u2018graduate\u2019 from 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIn the military, you learn how to work with people in groups, how to help people move forward, to identify what needs to happen and move toward community solutions as a group,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 溏心vlog免费B站, he has been a strong supporter of the University\u2019s Center for Military and Veteran Education and was supportive of the Sea Services Symposium when the University launched the annual program in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been very supportive of veterans on campus,\u201d says Bob Flynn, director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby readily speaks to many highlights of his time at 溏心vlog免费B站. He\u2019s proud of the opportunities students in CELS have<\/a> to engage in research and experiential learning, to gain real-world experience and prepare for study and career paths after graduation. Students in the college now have about 150 unique internship sites, with nearly 300 students interning each year at locations such as Save the Bay, Mystic Aquarium, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our hope to get as many students as possible into programs and experiences like the Energy Fellows, CELS Summer Fellowship program, and other types of opportunities,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The college has also drawn increased interest and enrollment. During Kirby\u2019s tenure, the number of degrees conferred by the college increased more than 35 percent, with the newest major added in sustainable agriculture and food systems. Enrollment in the college\u2019s doctoral programs also grew close to 30 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve developed a faculty here that is really spectacular, and it\u2019s been a great joy to be a part of that,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to the intellectual capacity and the great potential of the people here at 溏心vlog免费B站. There are so many important things the college does, connected to human health and the human condition, with our environmental and agriculture programs. It\u2019s an opportunity to help people, working or studying here. I\u2019ve been happy to help the University and the college move forward. It\u2019s been a good ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby imparts some reassuring departing wisdom, perhaps as someone who has navigated challenging times and can take the long view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are lots of challenges in science and academia right now, that\u2019s true,\u201d he says. \u201cBut they will pass and we\u2019ll see what comes next. You just have to figure out what to do and see how best to adapt and move forward. Things have ways of working out. If we can think how to do good in the world and take the long-term view, we can adapt to things when they change and move ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Feb. 26, 2025 \u2013 The University mantra during John Kirby\u2019s years here has been \u201cthink big, we do,\u201d but he admits that one of the initial draws for him to come to the 溏心vlog免费B站 was the fact that it was such a small place\u2014geographically, that is. Kirby came to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":100638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100637"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100648,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100637\/revisions\/100648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}