The newly selected vice president for Mississippi State’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine will start his term Oct. 1.
Gregory Bohach, recently served as the director of the Idaho experiment station and associate dean of the college of agriculture and life sciences of the University of Idaho.
A search committee consisting of people from all areas affected by the vice president of the DAFVM whittled away the number of candidates through a rigorous interview process.
Jerry Gilbert, committee chairman said, “We had some outstanding candidates, but Bohach stood out in a number of ways.”
After his second visit to MSU, Bohach was offered the job. Gilbert said that Bohach received positive feedback from the committee members, faculty of the Division, staff of the Extension Centers and MSU President Mark Keenum.
“He’s definitely a people person. He’s not at all one would brag about himself; you will be impressed without him trying to impress you because he’s knowledgeable. He’s very intelligent,” he said. Gilbert said Bohach is reserved but is able to relate very well to people.
He’s a good listener because he’s not at all egotistical,” he said.
Benjy Mikel served on the search committee with Gilbert. He said Bohach’s willingness to listen in earnest and admit there may not readily be a quick answer or solution was commendable.
“Dr. Bohach appears to be a quick study and receptive to gathering information from all sources to make informed decisions,” Mikel said. “His ability to place others at ease will be a valuable trait as he leads the DAFVM to new heights in excellence.”
Bohach holds a degree in biology with an emphasis in terrestrial ecology from the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown. He attended graduate school at West Virginia University where he attained a master’s and doctorate. His area of expertise is microbiology and biochemistry.
Bohach said his desire to work with students began when he was a student.
“When I was a student myself, there were certain teachers and professors that made a difference for me and influenced how I performed in school and what career paths I took,” he said. “I became aware of the qualities that a person holds that can influence a student and I thought it was really neat. I realized that making a difference in a student’s life was something I was interested in doing.”
Bohach said he researches diseases in hopes of prevention. He said he hopes to transfer some of his research programs to Mississippi.
“I have lot of research funded by the National Institute of Health that involves human infections, most of which can be gotten from animals or biosecurity agents, like the kind that could be used in bioterrorism attacks,” he said.
Bohach said he also works on veterinary infectious disease, which is funded by the USDA.”
“The bacteria that I work with is staphylococcus, or staph bacteria, which is the leading cause of a disease that bovine mastitis is a disease that dairy animals get. It’s the number one agricultural disease in the country,” he said.
Gilbert said he was struck by Bohach’s intelligence and research ability.
“I’d characterize him as the agricultural scientist of the 21st century,” he said. “He has a progressive view on agriculture and sees it as one of the emerging disciplines that is going to have a prominent place in this century.”
Gilbert said though Bohach is humble about his accomplishments, there is no mistaking his ability to lead.
“He’s known nationally for his leadership,” Gilbert said. “In Idaho, he oversees all of these research stations just as we have the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station so he has a good grasp of what it takes to run those operations.”
Bohach’s wife, a scientist at the University of Idaho, will be delayed in her move to Mississippi because of administrative duties. His son attends the University of Arizona.
Bohach said he is quite excited about starting the position in October.
“I’m so excited about coming to Mississippi. I just can’t wait to start,” he said. “Things are looking up.”