Dr. Karen Plaut is currently the Dean of the College of Agriculture at Purdue University. She is responsible for administering academic programs in the College of Agriculture, the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and a number of state regulatory services. In addition to her administrative role, Dr. Plaut is also Professor of Animal Sciences and has an active research program in mammary gland biology. Prior to her appointment as Dean, she was Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs in the College of Agriculture. Before joining the faculty at Purdue, she served as the Chair of the Department of Animal Sciences at both the University of Vermont and Michigan State University and worked as NASA as the Lead Scientist for the International Space Station. Dr. Plaut has a BS in Animal Science from the University of Vermont, an MS in Animal Nutrition from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in Animal Science from Cornell University.
