MSU names Dana Infante new chair for the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
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EmailDana Infante, Ph.D., was named chairperson of Michigan State University’s (MSU) Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, effective June 1, 2024.
Dana Infante, Ph.D., has been named chairperson of Michigan State University’s (MSU) Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The five-year appointment is effective June 1, 2024, and is contingent upon the approval of MSU’s Board of Trustees.
“With Dr. Infante’s impressive record as a researcher, along with her collaborative relationships with our agency partners and her prior administrative experience, Dr. Infante is exceptionally qualified to lead Fisheries and Wildlife,” said Kelly F. Millenbah, Ph.D., dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “As my home department, Fisheries and Wildlife is close to my heart, and I know that Dr. Infante’s leadership will benefit not only her colleagues and our college, but the state of Michigan and its citizens.”
Infante will replace Gary Roloff, Ph.D., who served as the chairperson of Fisheries and Wildlife from November 2020. He will rejoin the department faculty in July 2024.
“I’d like to thank Dr. Roloff for his excellent leadership as chair of Fisheries and Wildlife,” said George W. Smith, director of MSU AgBioResearch and senior associate dean for research at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “His efforts have contributed to expanded partnerships for the department, including the Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the U.S. Geological Survey Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center.”
Infante most recently served as associate director (since 2022) and assistant director (from 2019 to 2022) of MSU AgBioResearch, where she helped to advance MSU AgBioResearch’s research mission, serving as the primary liaison to stakeholders and state agencies in natural resource management fields. She oversaw MSU AgBioResearch’s Office of Research Support, where she managed research evaluation and data analytics.
Infante joined MSU Fisheries and Wildlife in 2007 and is a tenured professor and Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management (PERM) faculty member, working closely with Fisheries Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, with expertise in river ecology and management, landscape ecology and environmental assessment. She is the current interim director of the Institute of Water Research.
“As the challenges facing our natural resources grow in severity and complexity, I’m committed to supporting the Fisheries and Wildlife community to make the greatest difference for conservation,” said Infante. “FW is a global leader in conserving fish and wildlife resources, and the people who make up the FW community – and our equally passionate stakeholders – are its foundation. FW’s faculty and staff are dedicated to groundbreaking research, impactful outreach and excellence in teaching, empowering students to be the next generation of environmental leaders. I’m honored to have been named chair of Fisheries and Wildlife!”
She earned her master of science and doctorate degrees in resource ecology and her bachelor of science degree in scientific writing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
