CHERRIES - Key Persons


Audree Baxter

Job Titles:
  • Director
  • Director of Budget and Financ
  • Director of Budget and Finance
Audree Baxter is the director of budget and finance in the the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR). She previously served as the budget officer in CANR. Before coming to CANR in 2016, Baxter had worked at Michigan State University for 20 years. She served eight years as budget officer in the Broad College of Business. Prior to that, she served in a human resources capacity in the Broad College of Business. Additionally, Baxter spent three years working on MSU's Enterprise Business System and started her tenure at MSU as a senior financial analyst in the Controllers Office.

Bradley Marks

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Chairperson

Brian Horgan

Job Titles:
  • Professor CANR Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development

Catherine Ernst

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Academic Department Chairs & School Directors Team
  • Professor and Chairperson

Cecilia Flores

Job Titles:
  • Office Assistant IV

Chad Cotti

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Academic Department Chairs & School Directors Team

Cheryl Eschbach

Job Titles:
  • MSU Extension Institute Director
  • Health & Nutrition Institute Director

Dave Ivan

Job Titles:
  • MSU Extension Institute Director

Derek Plotkowski


Dorcia Chaison

Job Titles:
  • Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs

Emily Lavely


Erin Lauwers


Frank Lupi

Job Titles:
  • Member of the CANR Graduate Committee

George Smith

Job Titles:
  • AgBioResearch Director
  • Director of AgBioResearch, Senior Associate Dean for Research

Hannah Burrack

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Academic Department Chairs & School Directors Team
  • Professor and Chairperson

Jacquelyn Perkins

Job Titles:
  • Academic Specialist - Tree Fruit Integrator

James Averill

Job Titles:
  • AgBioResearch Director
  • Associate Director of MSU AgBioResearch

Jeffrey Martin

Job Titles:
  • Director
  • Senior Director of Development

Jodi Schulz

Job Titles:
  • Children & Youth Institute Co - Director

Julianna Wilson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Professor - Tree Fruit Entomology

Jun-Hyun Kim

Job Titles:
  • School Director and Professor

Karim Maredia

Job Titles:
  • Director of CANR International Programs Assistant Dean

Kelly Kussmaul

Job Titles:
  • Director of Communications and Marketing

Laura Bix

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Member of the Academic Department Chairs & School Directors Team
  • Academic and Student Affairs Ex Officio
  • Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and Teaching, Learning and Academic Analytics
  • Professor and Interim Director
Laura Bix, PhD Professor and Interim Director; Associate Dean of Graduate Programs for CANR bixlaura@msu.edu 517-355-4556

Laura Schmitt Olabisi

Job Titles:
  • Faculty Fellow

Leslie D. Bourquin

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Academic Department Chairs & School Directors Team
  • Professor and Chairperson

Lindsay Brown


Lisa Bottomley

Job Titles:
  • MSU Extension Institute Director
  • Children & Youth Institute Co - Director

Lisa Duffey

Job Titles:
  • Executive
  • Staff Assistant
  • Academic and Student Affairs Staff Support

Maria Rubino

Job Titles:
  • Member of the CANR Graduate Committee

Mary Weinzweig


Matthew Daum

Job Titles:
  • Interim Dean

MSU Extension

Contact information for MSU Extension leadership is available on the MSU Extension Leadership page. All open MSU Extension positions are now posted on the Michigan State University Applicant Page. Please visit the MSU jobs page and, if you're looking for Extension positions, click MSU Extension under Fast Job Search or click on Search Postings and select MSU Extension under Job Category. MSU Extension and the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) are committed to a culturally inclusive, safe and supportive environment that is free from any and all forms of discrimination, bias, stereotyping, harassment and assault. (See more in the CANR DEI Statement.) For more than 100 years, MSU Extension has helped grow Michigan's economy by equipping Michigan residents with the information that they need to do their jobs better, raise healthy and safe families, build their communities and empower our children to dream of a successful future.

Nikki Rothwell

Job Titles:
  • Extension Specialist and NWMHRC Coordinator

Patrick Cudney

Job Titles:
  • Director of Government and Stakeholder Relations

Quentin Tyler

Job Titles:
  • Director of MSU Extension, Senior Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement

Rebecca Jordan

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Chairperson

Renee Gagnier - CHRO

Job Titles:
  • Director of Human Resources

Richard Chester

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director of Human Resources

Richard Kobe

Job Titles:
  • Professor and Chairperson

Rita Strakovsky

Job Titles:
  • Member of the CANR Graduate Committee

Ron Bates

Job Titles:
  • MSU Extension Institute Director
  • Agriculture & Agribusiness Institute Director
  • Assistant Dean of Outreach and Extension

Sinem Mollaoglu

Job Titles:
  • CANR Faculty Excellence Advocate, Professor

Travis Halsted

Job Titles:
  • Occupational Safety Compliance Officer

Vance Baird

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Academic Department Chairs & School Directors Team
  • Professor and Chairperson

Wei Zhang

Job Titles:
  • Interim Department Chair and Professor - Environmental and Soil Physics

William Shane