Greg Perry

Greg Perry headshot

Role: Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, CSU Fort Collins

How are you connected to Spur?

My tie to CSU Spur is through involvement in the Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management degree, the first tuition-based academic program to be offered at Spur.

When did you get involved with Spur and why is it important to you?

In Spring 2016, then-Dean Ajay Menon asked me to take the lead in designing programming for the College of Agricultural Sciences at the National Western Center, specifically for the facilities that are now known as CSU Spur campus. My experience as a former faculty member at Oregon State University exposed me to the Food Innovation Center (FIC) in Portland, one of the first urban experiment station facilities in the nation. The FIC provides urban Oregonians with experiment station and extension programming appropriate to them, thereby generating stronger political support for these entities and broadening the reach of the university. In the creation of Spur, I immediately saw that same potential to provide programming to urban Coloradans that would meet their needs and (hopefully) bridge the rural-urban divide that exists here and pretty much everywhere in the U.S. My colleague, Greg Graff, came to me with the idea for this master’s program, which he thought would be a great fit for this new location. I agreed and we moved forward with the paperwork to get this degree approved. We are absolutely thrilled with the response to the program that we’ve received from the ag and food industries, as well as prospective students.

What outcomes have you seen or do you expect from work at Spur?

Spur campus is going to become a transformational catalyst in the ag and food industry for Colorado and beyond. We believe we will be an integral part of that transformation by training the next generation of agriculture and food business leaders and entrepreneurs in Colorado. We provide knowledge, a real world practicum experience, and the opportunity to build a professional network.

What would you like others to know about Spur?

We have the facilities and programming to build an innovation space for agribusiness and food entrepreneurs that is second to none. The economic benefits to Colorado of this investment by the legislature and the business community is going to pay dividends for decades to come. The world will look to us for the innovative ideas needed to feed future generations.

JOCELYN HITTLE

Associate Vice Chancellor for CSU Spur & Special Projects, CSU System

Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on helping to create the CSU System’s new Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting campus sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.

Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.

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TONY FRANK

Chancellor, CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.

Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.

Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.

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