Jim Ozbun was dean of WSU’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics from 1982 until 1988, when he became president of his alma mater North Dakota State University. He is a native Flasher, North Dakota and has a B.S. and M.S. in soil sciences from his alma mater. His Ph.D. is in soils and plant physiology from North Carolina State University. Immediately prior to coming to WSU, Ozbun served as Director of Research and Associate Dean of Agriculture at Kansas State University. Dean Ozbun was head of the Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Minnesota from 1976 to 1981. While there, he also served as director of graduate studies in horticulture and plant physiology. Dean Ozbun and his wife, Sonja have a son, Terry, and a daughter, Karen. He began his professional career in higher education in 1964 as an assistant professor in vegetable crops at Cornell University and received the American Institute of Biological Science Campbell Award in 1965. Jim remained at Cornell until 1976, serving as assistant director of research, assistant director of Agricultural Experiment Station, and associate director of Cooperative Extension with responsibility for agricultural programs. In addition to teaching and conducting research in the Vegetable Crops Department, he was department chairman from 1972 to 1975. Ozbun counts among his proudest accomplishments at WSU the successful merger of the College of Agriculture and College of Home Economics in 1982, and his role in the creation of the International Marketing Program for Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT). IMPACT was established on a permanent basis at WSU in 1985 and uses research to find solutions to international marketing problems for Washington agricultural commodities and products.
Award Requirements
The Jim Ozbun Scholarship fund in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics will be used as a scholarship for recruitment of outstanding high school students to the departments and programs of the college.