Agricultural Innovations for Profitability and Environmental Sustainability
Dr. Cheng-I Wei is the former Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and University of Maryland Extension at the University of Maryland. In January 2018, Dr. Wei founded the International Association for Agricultural Sustainability to assemble agriculture-related knowledge and methodology approaches, and to further impact the economy, human health, and sociality positively. He assumed the current position as International Programs Director in November 2015 following a two-term, 10-year service as the dean and director. Prior to coming to Maryland, Dr. Wei served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies of the College of Human Environmental Sciences at Oklahoma State University, as well as Interim Head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences. He was Bruno Professor and Head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Auburn University, Alabama, for four years. Dr. Wei is the chairman of International Association for Agriculture Sustainability which founded in 2018. During his tenure at University of Florida, Gainesville, he advanced through the ranks from assistant professor to associate professor to full professor in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department where he taught “Food Toxicology and Foodborne Infections” and “Seafood Technology.”
Dr. Wei received his B.S. in biology from the Tunghai University of Taiwan in 1970, an M.S. in medical microbiology from National Taiwan University in 1972, and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of California-Davis in 1979. His research interests are in food microbiology and safety, toxicology, and immunotoxicology. He has secured over $11 million in external funds to support his research and published 207 refereed papers.
Under his leadership, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has established the successful Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, the Agriculture Law Education Initiative, and the 2+2 Undergraduate Transfer Program with four Chinese universities. The enrollment of undergraduate students in the college increased from 916 in FY 2005 to 1226 in FY 2015, and the extramural funding increased from 19 million to 35 million.