Election
University Senate Election
Each year an election is conducted to select CAFE representation to the University Senate.
This year we are electing four senators.
To vote for a candidate, please go to https://acsg.ca.uky.edu/FacultyVoting.
The candidates are:
- Ted Kalbfleisch
- Akinbode Adedeji
- Jian Shi
- Merlin Lindemann
- Sandra Bastin
- Gregg Rentfrow
Brief biographical sketches for the candidates are below. To see a list of current senators, please go to https://www.uky.edu/universitysenate/senate-members.
Ted Kalbfleisch PhD (Associate Professor, Regular Title Series, Veterinary Science)
Interest in University Senate:
I am interested in participating in university governance and am particularly interested in working to explore how both digital and information technology and data science will impact all aspects of how our university performs research, as well as how it engages our students, stakeholders, and commonwealth.
Background:
I am a native Kentuckian having grown up in Jefferson and Henry counties. I graduated from the University of Louisville in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and earned my Ph.D. in 1994 from Boston University in physical chemistry. That was followed by a 2-year Post-Doctoral fellowship studying chemical physics again at Boston University. I spent the first 8 years of my professional career working in industry for genomics startup companies located in New Haven, Connecticut. From there, I returned to my alma mater where I joined the faculty at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 2007. As time passed, the most productive collaborations I was able to build were in animal genetics and genomics with the most significant result to date being the 2018 publication of the reference genome for the horse. I was then able to join the department of Veterinary Science as a faculty member in 2019 where I am now able to dedicate all of my time to teaching and studying animal genetics.
Akinbode Adedeji (Associate Professor, Regular Title Series, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering)
I hope I am considered for the opportunity to serve on the University of Kentucky Senate Council. I joined Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department as an assistant professor in 2014 and was promoted with tenure in 2020. Before UK, I was a faculty in my home country for a little over a decade. In all my career, I have been passionate about student-faculty advancement, support of management for continuous improvement, and shaping the role of higher education in stimulating societal growth. Throughout my nine years at UK, I have been actively involved in various growth and support initiatives aimed at promoting success and improving the overall university experience for members of the UK community, especially within my department and college.
I have a strong track record of leadership and collaboration, which I believe would make me an ideal candidate for the university senate. I am confident that my ability to work with diverse groups of people would be an asset to the senate.
I am committed to making a positive impact on the university and its students, and I believe that serving on the university senate would provide me with a unique opportunity to do so. I am eager to bring my perspectives and ideas to the table and work alongside others to address the challenges facing our university and ensure that it continues to be a leader in higher education.
Thank you for considering my application to join the university senate council. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the university community and make a lasting impact.
Jian Shi (Associate Professor, Regular Title Series, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering)
Dr. Shi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. He joined the faculty of University of Kentucky in 2015 after worked at national lab as a postdoc and a biotech company as a Sr. Scientist. Dr. Shi got his Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from North Carolina State University. He teaches and researches in the areas of bioprocessing and sustainable manufacturing. He had served on committees at the Department, College, University and the scientific community at large. He believes that agriculture education, research and extension is the very key to the mission of a land-grant university. Transparency and forward-thinking in the decision-making process ensure a robust shared governance model at UK. He is interested in participating in faculty governance and is particularly interested in mechanisms fostering large-scale science and convergence research and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in faculty affairs and graduate education.
Merlin Lindemann (Professor, Regular Title Series, Animal and Food Sciences)
Biographical sketch
Dr. Merlin Lindemann received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Minnesota. He led the swine research program at Virginia Tech’s Tidewater Station before joining the Animal and Food Sciences faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1994.
Dr. Lindemann has had a distinguished research and service career in the area of animal nutrition. His research in the minerals area has involved determining the nutrient needs of many classes of pigs, defining the bioavailabilities of minerals from a variety of indigenous and supplemental sources, and determining the impact of mineral usage on waste application and subsequent crop usage. Some of his more notable research achievements involve the improved understanding of the folic acid needs of swine for reproduction, the use of clays for alleviating problems with dietary aflatoxins, omega-3 fatty acids, and chromium as well as general mineral nutrition. The issues have addressed societal concerns, producer concerns, and company interests. He is in demand as a speaker at national and international conferences and has spoken in 35 countries.
Dr. Lindemann has served on many editorial boards. He served on the National Research Council’s (NRC) subcommittee that prepared the 11th revision of the internationally recognized standard Nutrient Requirements of Swine. From 2015-2020, he chaired the National Animal Nutrition Program which works closely with the National Academy of Science to support various aspects of the continued NRC nutrient requirement revisions for multiple species of animals. Recently he was named a University of Kentucky Research Professor.
Statement
Having served on numerous ad hoc committees related to research and the graduate school, plus serving on the Biological Sciences P&T committee and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee for several terms, I have been exposed to much of the “workings” of a university. Having taught both undergraduate and graduate students has exposed me to a variety of issues associated with trying to impart information to a diversity of students in a diversity of settings. I am interested in bringing an experienced voice to issues wherein the faculty perspective needs to be heard at the university level.
Sandra Bastin, Extension Professor, Extension Title Series, Dietetics & Human Nutrition
What an honor it is to serve as one of your University Senate CAFE Representatives. It has been one of the most rewarding opportunities I have experienced and wish to continue serving for another term. I take my responsibilities to represent you very seriously and as such am actively involved in listening to the concerns of my colleagues and students, finding ways to act on their behalf. I am prepared before each meeting to vote on policies and procedures that ensure our academic freedom is protected, and that student learning is a top priority. I serve as the Chair of the Senate Academic Program Committee (SAPC), which is composed of engaged representatives from other colleges. It is a very busy committee and we have worked hard to send forth faculty-driven certificates, USPs, and degrees that will benefit student success. SAPC also suggested streamlining pathways for USPs and badges to make the process more user-friendly and efficient for proposers. It takes all of us working together to enhance our university community. There is still more work to be done. I would appreciate your vote to continue as one of your University Senate CAFE Representatives.
Gregg Rentfrow, Extension Professor, Extension Title Series, Animal and Food Sciences
I have had the pleasure to serve the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment on the University Senate for the last three years, serving on the Academic Organization and Structure Committee and the Parliamentarian. I have learned that shared governance is important to moving the university forward by giving our faculty and students a voice. I would be honored to represent CAFE for another term.
