C. S. MOTT FOUNDATION SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CHAIR Michigan State University and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are pleased to provide the seminar video file and other information for the new holder of the C. S. Mott Distinguished Professorship of Sustainable Agriculture.

Memorandum From: Jeffrey Armstrong, Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Re: Dr. Michael Hamm to be Mott Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Michael Hamm, the current dean of Academic and Student Programs at Cook College, Rutgers University, has been selected as the C. S. Mott Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University, effective January 1, 2003. He will fill the position vacated by the resignation last year of Richard R. Harwood who served as the first Mott Chair.

The Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture is an endowed chair in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources established through a gift from the C. S. Mott Foundation in 1989 with additional support from MSU, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and MSU Extension. It offers a tenured full professorship responsible for providing leadership to a campus-wide program of excellence in sustainable agriculture.

Dr. Hamm will be affiliated with the Departments of Resource Development (to be the newly integrated department), Crop and Soil Sciences, and Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Dr. Hamm brings broad experience in the field of sustainable food systems and agriculture to the position. He was chairperson of the Department of Nutritional Sciences for Cook College from 1998 until his appointment as dean in July 2002, and has been a member of the faculty of the Rutgers Department of Nutrition since 1983. His appointment at Rutgers has included responsibilities in teaching, Cooperate Extension and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. He is co-founder and director of the New Jersey Urban Ecology Program, an effort that brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds to address sustainable food systems in New Jersey. He has also been facilitator for the New Jersey Cooperative Gleaning Network since 1998, was co-director of the New Jersey Food Stamp Nutrition Education Network from 1996 to 2000, and the founding director of the Cook Student Organic Farm from 1993 to 1998. He is a member of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, the Society for Nutrition Education and the Community Food Security Coalition.

Dr. Hamm has made numerous invited presentations and is widely published in issues surrounding community food security and sustainable food systems as well as in nutritional biochemistry. He was recognized for his Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Advising by the Cook College Student Leadership (1997), received the Rutgers College Class of 1962 Public Service Award (1996), the Cook College Teaching Award for Academic Innovation and Creativity (1992), the Latin American Students Association Founders'' Award in (1990), and holds Certificates of Leadership from the Cook College Student Life Program (1993 ­97). Prior to his tenure at Rutgers, Dr. Hamm served as a postdoctoral fellow with the Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition and was a National Research Service Award recipient at the Institute. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in nutrition from the University of Minnesota.

I want to thank the search committee chaired by Dr. Gary Lemme for its outstanding service throughout the selection process.I would also like to thank the other candidates for the position for their interest, commitment and thought-provoking presentations regarding their vision for the future. I am confident that Dr. Hamm''s contributions will have a dramatic impact on our programs for sustainable food systems. I look forward to having him join our faculty as we work together to build a more sustainable future.

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Seminar of Dr. Michael Hamm
Seminar Title: Localized Food Systems in a Global Context: The Next Frontier for Sustainable Agriculture

History of the Mott Foundation Sustainable Agriculture Chair at MSU

Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professor for Sustainable Agriculture was established by Michigan State University (MSU) in cooperation with the C. S. Mott Foundation in 1989.  The Mott Foundation made a significant donation to the Michigan State University Foundation to endow this position.  Proceeds from this donation plus significant contributions from Michigan State University, Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, and Michigan State University Extension provides a competitive salary for the position, plus graduate assistantships, support staff, and operating funds. This is an endowed chair position in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

One of the most important roles of the Mott Distinguished Professor will be that of a catalyst for enriching all agricultural disciplines at MSU with sustainable production concepts.  The position will facilitate research linkages between agricultural and environmental faculty at MSU forming a cohesive program for the innovation of sustainable and environmentally sound agricultural practices.  The incumbent will possess significant research stature in their discipline in addition to demonstrating evidence of ability to work in multidisciplinary teams addressing agricultural system issues.  The incumbent is expected to attract additional external support for research and special projects in sustainable agriculture.

Michigan State University has been the recipient of a USDA special research grant in sustainable agriculture for several years.  The coordination of this grant has been the responsibility of the incumbent.  There is an expectation that the incumbent will provide leadership to fostering the network of researchers, educators, and students across the MSU campus interested in sustainable agriculture.   Michigan is an active network of sustainable agriculture grower and consumer groups and the incumbent is expected to become an active participant in the network.

Responsibilities of the Chair:

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Dr. Richard R. Harwood First Chair Holder C. S. Mott Distinguished Professorship of Sustainable Agriculture

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