John C. Owens, Ph.D.

Vice President and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Natural Resources

John C. Owens became the Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources on January 1, 2001. He also serves as the Neal and Lee Harlan Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to joining the university, he was with New Mexico State University from 1977 to 2000. He started his career at New Mexico State University in 1977 and served as Associate Professor, Professor, and Head of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. In 1985, he became Dean and Chief Administrative Officer, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service, and New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer from 1997 to 2000. The New Mexico State University Board of Regents named him Executive Vice President Emeritus in January 2001.

Owens earned his Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Entomology, masters from Texas Tech University in Entomology, and his bachelor's in Biology from West Texas State University (now West Texas A & M University).

Owens is past president of the Southwestern and Rocky Mountain Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is active in the National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) having served as Chair of the Board on Agriculture, as a member of the Council of Academic Affairs Committee on Institutional Quality & Effectiveness, Chair of the Search Committee forDirector, Office of Federal Relations for Food Environment and International Affairs, and Chair of the Administrative Heads Section. He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and the Entomological Society of America and is a Registered Professional Entomologist.

Owens is married to Virginia L. Owens, Ph.D., and they have two adult children, Casey and Spencer.