Manpreet Singh, previously the head of the University of Georgia Department of Food Science and Technology (FST), began a new role as associate dean in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Sept. 1.

The newly elevated associate dean role expands responsibilities to include graduate education, faculty affairs and key strategic initiatives for the college. The position was created as part of a reorganization following the announced retirement of Doug Bailey, who has served as assistant dean for academic and faculty affairs since 2016.

Singh brings department leadership experience

Singh joined UGA as a faculty member in 2017 and was appointed interim head of FST in 2020. He became permanent department head in 2021.

“The past four years with FST have prepared me to step into my new role,” Singh said. “Working closely with faculty and students on the Athens and Griffin campuses has taught me the value of connecting people and leveraging our excellent resources within and outside of UGA, which I believe will be a pillar of this role.”

Elevating support for graduate students and faculty

The new associate dean role is designed to strengthen support for graduate students and faculty as CAES pursues its goal of becoming the top-ranked agricultural college in the nation. Singh will oversee responsibilities ranging from managing the promotion and tenure process to supporting graduate education across the Athens, Griffin and Tifton campuses.

“We want to encourage our CAES faculty to apply for and hopefully win more accolades, increase graduate student numbers, and enhance the quality of life for graduate students, not only on our main campus, but across our campuses,” Singh said.

Building connections across the state

Singh emphasized that the expanded role comes with greater expectations. He said he intends to go beyond meeting basic needs and focus on long-term improvements.

“A question I always challenge myself with is, ‘Can we do more than what is simply enough?’ and I plan on implementing that in this new position,” he said.

He will also familiarize himself with all nine CAES departments and the needs of graduate students across the three campuses. CAES enrolls 700 to 800 graduate students, compared with about 115 in FST.

“Having graduate students on the Athens and Griffin campuses makes it more familiar for me to understand the challenges some of these students and faculty may face and identify the needs they may have and how their experiences may differ from those on the main campus,” Singh said.

Focus on relationship building and fundraising

Singh said relationship building has been the hallmark of his leadership in FST, where he also oversaw promotion and tenure and worked with stakeholders, industry partners and alumni to support graduate education.

“It is the biggest investment I believe in, and I want to be intentional in carving time out to connect people and build relationships in our efforts to elevate CAES toward being the No. 1 college in the nation,” he said.

Singh expressed confidence in FST’s future under interim department head Faith Critzer, noting that he is “excited about the new role and feels confident the department is in good hands.”

Expanding the CAES administrative team

CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place praised Singh’s leadership and expressed confidence in his ability to succeed in the expanded associate dean role.

“I have enjoyed working with Dr. Singh as FST department head, and I’m confident that the strong leadership that he has demonstrated in that position will translate as he moves to associate dean,” Place said in an email announcing Singh’s appointment.