CANR deputy dean
Sherrier named acting deputy dean of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
1:17 p.m., Feb. 14, 2013--Janine Sherrier has been named the acting deputy dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR).
Sherrier, a professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences with a secondary appointment in biological sciences, also directs a robust research program at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI).
Campus Stories
From graduates, faculty
Doctoral hooding
Sherrier was one of the earliest hires for the DBI initiative and worked as part of the team to grow DBI into the center of research excellence that it is recognized to be today.
Sherrier earned her bachelor of science degree in biology at Baylor University and her doctorate in biology at Texas A&M University. Subsequently, Sherrier pursued postdoctoral research in genetics at the John Innes Centre, U.K., and postdoctoral research in biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, U.K.
She is a member of the American Society of Plant Biology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. She is also currently serving as the leader of a federal program that supports outstanding early-career scientists engaged in agricultural research.
Of the appointment, Sherrier said, “I consider it an honor and privilege to serve my college for a year as acting deputy dean. My highest priority is to provide members of my college with the resources required for high-quality student education, community outreach, and internationally-competitive research programs.”
Sherrier continued, adding that CANR Dean Mark Rieger “brings great ideas and an energizing enthusiasm, and I am pleased to be working as part of his team.”
Rieger said that he is “delighted that Dr. Sherrier has joined the college's administrative team. As a world-class molecular biologist, she brings a strong background in research, which will be the focus of her appointment. Most importantly, I have found her to be truly passionate about the advancement of the college and agriculture and natural resource issues in general.”
Sherrier currently teaches courses in plant development biology, current topics of plant biology, and mentors undergraduate and graduate students in her research laboratory.
The research being conducted in her laboratory focuses on the beneficial symbiotic relationship between plants in the legume family and the soil microbe rhizobia, and the resulting development of a nitrogen-fixing root nodule. Her research program includes both a strong fundamental research component and the direct application of that knowledge into the development of new resources to address the immediate needs of growers.
Article by Adam Thomas
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson