Tennessee Tech has appointed Jinfa Zhang as the Associate Dean of Research for the College of Agriculture and Human Ecology to expand the college’s research capabilities and funding opportunities.
Zhang said the newly created position involves identifying funding sources and assisting faculty with grant proposals. Zhang said the role also includes overseeing graduate student advisement and the publication of research manuscripts.
“I’m here to help, so I do not have my own personal agenda whatsoever,” Zhang said. “Tech is a great university, is a great college, is a great school of ag, and we have a great faculty members.”
Zhang said the College of Agriculture and Human Ecology faces challenges including a lack of research equipment and laboratory space. Zhang said faculty members currently manage high teaching loads of three to four courses per semester.
“Most of them are from those big universities and with very strong research before they came, they also have a passion in moving forward with their research,” Zhang said. “So we have a lot of potentials.”
Zhang said the university is working to transition from a historic focus on teaching toward a model that balances instruction with active research.
“We are not a land-grant university, we do not have formula funding from the state, from the federal government,” Zhang said. “So we have to be very smart in trying to identify and going after the different funding sources, both small and big.”
Zhang said the local 15-county region produces nearly $1 billion in animal and plant products. Zhang said he previously served as the director of the school of agriculture for nearly two years.
“But to develop breakthrough varieties to help our producers, that will be the most satisfactory with my professional career,” Zhang said.
Zhang said the college aims to secure between $2 million and $5 million in research funding over the next three years.