Arthur Appel will serve as interim dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture and interim director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, effective Jan. 1. Appel has served in his current role as associate dean for research and assistant director of the Experiment Station since 2021.
“Dr. Appel’s extensive leadership experience at Auburn and within the College of Agriculture and Experiment Station make him an ideal candidate for this interim role,” said Vini Nathan, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “His experience and leadership will be crucial during this time of transition as we begin our national search for a permanent dean and director.”
Appel previously served as interim dean and director from July 2015 to March 2016. He was interim associate dean for research and interim assistant director of the Experiment Station from Jan. 2014 to March 2016, and he chaired the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology from 2005 to 2014. He has been on faculty at Auburn since 1985.
“I am honored to lead our college and Experiment Station through this transition period,” Appel said. “These programs are in excellent positions, and we have great teams in place. My goal for the coming months is to continue our current trajectory while preparing the way for our next dean and director and assisting in a smooth, successful transition.”
The College of Agriculture currently has record enrollments of both undergraduate and graduate students, at 1,087 and 404, respectively. 2023 and 2024 have been record years for grant and contract funding for the college and Experiment Station. Faculty attained a record $64 million in grants and contracts in 2023, followed by a second-all-time-record $53.4 in 2024.
Appel will succeed Paul Patterson, who has served as dean and director since March 2016, after serving as associate dean for instruction since 2009.
“Dr. Patterson leaves very big shoes to fill and has positioned us extremely well for the future. He has been an outstanding leader,” Appel said.
Appel holds an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of California at Los Angeles and a master’s and Ph.D. in urban entomology from the University of California at Riverside. His research, teaching and scholarship have led to many honors and awards, including induction as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
