Jean A. Bertrand has been named interim associate provost and dean for Undergraduate Studies by Provost Bob Jones as the result of an internal search.
Bertrand, associate dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, is taking over for John Griffin, who was named senior associate provost in July. The University will begin a national search for a permanent associate provost and dean for Undergraduate Studies.
Bertrand will serve as a member of the executive vice president and provost’s leadership team and will be the University leader of and advocate for undergraduate education.
She also will support academic advising, diversity and inclusion initiatives, honors coursework and undergraduate research activities, help facilitate the adoption of new instructional technologies, enhance the quality of undergraduate education by facilitating innovation and evaluation of teaching and learning.
Bertrand has been professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and associate dean in CAFLS since 2017. She was a professor and assistant dean for academic affairs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia after having been a faculty member in Clemson’s Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences from 1986 to 2006.
Bertrand earned a bachelor’s degree in dairy science and animal science at the University of Missouri, a master’s in animal science at Iowa State and a Ph.D. in animal and dairy science at Georgia.
In CAFLS, she established the CAFLS Advantage, which promotes student participation in experiential learning activities; the CAFLS Undergraduate Research Initiative; the Cultivate. CAFLS Student Entrepreneurial Initiative in which individuals or teams of students are provided seed funding to develop entrepreneurial ideas; and the CAFLS Spring Break Tour during which students spend five days visiting agricultural and natural resource businesses and organizations to increase their awareness of possible career paths.