STILLWATER, OKLA. — Jayson Lusk is returning to Oklahoma State University (OSU) as vice president and dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. He will succeed Tom Coon, who is retiring.

After a nationwide search, OSU selected Lusk to offer leadership for the Ferguson College of Agriculture, OSU Extension and OSU Ag Research. He will lead the move-in and transition to the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall, a $115 million state-of-the-art teaching, research and extension facility for OSU Agriculture, which expected to be complete by the summer of 2024. 

“I am delighted that Dr. Lusk, a member of the Cowboy family, has chosen to return and lead the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources,” said Jeanette Mendez, OSU provost. “Oklahoma State University is a national leader in agriculture, and I believe Dr. Lusk will continue to build on the strong foundation of retiring vice president and dean Dr. Tom Coon. 

“As part of the systemwide strategy OSU unveiled in October 2022, the university has a focus on fighting food insecurity with the concept of using research to help ‘nourish the world.’ Dr. Lusk’s background in partnering technology and agriculture dovetails perfectly with OSU’s commitment to leveraging research and innovation to improve the world’s food shortage issues.” 

From 2005 to 2017, Lusk worked at OSU first as an agricultural economics professor and Willard Sparks endowed chair and then as a regents professor.

Most recently, he served as a distinguished professor and head of the Agricultural Economics Department at Purdue University.

Lusk received a bachelor’s degree in food technology from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in agricultural economics from Kansas State University.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to come home to a place where I worked for 13 years and help build on the foundation in place to move the college and our state forward,” Lusk said. “It’s an opportunity to make an impact and to make a difference. It’s also a place where the students, faculty and staff are doing good things, and OSU Agriculture is well positioned with support of alumni and stakeholders to have an even bigger impact in Oklahoma and beyond.” 

Lusk begins his position at OSU in August.