New Department Chair

FST Welcomes New Department Chair

Dr. James N. Seiber began his term as Chair of the Department of Food Science & Technology earlier this week. Dr. Seiber's last position was the Center Director, Western Regional Research Center (WRRC). He retired from there after 10 years with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
 
James N. Seiber, a native of Missouri, obtained degrees in chemistry from Bellarmine College (AB, Louisville, KY), Arizona State University (MS, Tempe, Arizona), and Utah State University (Ph.D., Logan, Utah).  He was employed in the pesticide discovery and development areas at Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, and Pittsburg, CA.  He left Dow to join the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California, Davis, where he served as Department Chair and taught and conducted research in the areas of chemical contaminant analysis, transport, and environmental fate.  He also served as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences until 1992.  Dr. Seiber was appointed the first Director of the University Center for Environmental Sciences at the University of Nevada (UNR), Reno, from 1992 to 1998.  He coordinated research and teaching programs over five interdisciplinary environmental sciences programs at UNR, the Desert Research Center, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Dr. Seiber mentored 30 Ph.D. students and authored or co-authored 225 journal publications and book chapters while in academia.  He also edited or co-edited ten books in the areas of contaminate transport and fate, and also natural toxicant chemistry. 
 
He was selected as Director of the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, CA, in 1998.  WRRC, one of USDA’s four regional research centers, conducts research in food healthfulness and safety, biofuels and biobased products, environmental quality enhancement including control of invasive weeds using biologically-based methods, and basic plant biology, including genomics, proteomics, and related techniques of plant molecular biology.  During his tenure as Director, WRRC realized significant increases in numbers of journal manuscript publications, CRADA partnerships, and funded grants and agreements.  WRRC’s budget doubled, and the number of permanent scientists increased, particularly in the areas of food safety and biofuels.  A Listserve-based research update was initiated, now reaching over one thousand individuals and organizations, and an annual research partnership meeting was established with stakeholders and customers of WRRC and ARS research.  He was instrumental in the development of international agreements with the European Union, Mexico, Ireland, China and other nations.
 
Dr. Seiber served as Acting Director of both the Western Human Nutrition Center in Davis, CA, and the Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, LA.  In addition to his considerable leadership and administrative duties, he has served since 1998 as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, an American Chemical Society publication. 
 
Dr. Seiber is excited about his return to academic life here at UC Davis.  He and his wife, Rita, plan to be active in university and community service, improve their orchard in Winters, and spend more time with their grandchildren.