Veteran Land-Grant Administrator to Advance Student Success, Research and Agricultural Innovation

Alabama A&M University has named Dr. Douglas LaVergne dean of the College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences following a national search.

LaVergne, who joined AAMU in March 2025 as associate vice president for Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies, was named interim dean and 1890 research director in December 2025. He was named permanent dean Aug. 17 and continues to serve as 1890 research director and associate vice president for Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies.

As dean, LaVergne provides academic and administrative leadership for a college central to AAMU’s 1890 land-grant mission, overseeing efforts to strengthen academic programs, student success, faculty development and research. As 1890 research director, he is responsible for ensuring the University’s agricultural research activities address federal research priorities and for supporting AAMU researchers whose work advances those priorities.

LaVergne brings nearly three decades of experience in higher education to the position, including leadership roles at land-grant and non-land-grant institutions. Before joining AAMU, he served at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, where his positions included professor, dean and vice president for land-grant engagement. As dean of Lincoln’s College of Agriculture, Environmental and Human Sciences, he served as the college’s chief academic officer as well as 1890 research director and extension administrator.

He previously served as associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at East Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, and has held appointments at 1862 land-grant institutions, including West Virginia University. His professional experience encompasses agricultural education, extension, teaching, personnel management, academic programming, policymaking and financial management and supervision.

LaVergne earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in agricultural education from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He earned a master’s degree in agricultural and extension education from the University of Arkansas and a doctorate in agricultural education from Texas A&M University in College Station. He was named a George Washington Carver Fellow at the University of Arkansas in 2003 and has received numerous teaching and research awards.

His background in the classroom continues to shape his approach to academic administration. Before entering higher education, LaVergne taught high school for three years, an experience that helped establish the student-centered perspective he carries into his leadership roles.

LaVergne said student success and faculty support are among his immediate priorities as dean.

“My first priority would be ensuring that our researchers and our students are where they need to be in regard to student matriculation, making sure that we’re offering the courses, making sure that students are getting the courses they need for matriculation, also getting the experience that they need so that they’ll become more marketable once they leave the institution,” LaVergne said.

Supporting faculty is equally important, he said. LaVergne views the dean’s role as ensuring faculty have the resources necessary to succeed in teaching, research and service.

“My role as the dean is to make sure that we’re facilitating everything that we can give them so that they are successful in all three roles,” he said.

His long-term vision for the College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences includes strengthening AAMU’s impact as one of Alabama’s three land-grant institutions. He plans to expand the college’s service to small farmers and underserved communities, increase the visibility of AAMU agriculture and continue collaborations with Auburn University and Tuskegee University in carrying out the land-grant mission across the state.

Expanding the college’s research enterprise is another priority. LaVergne plans to strengthen research supported through the Evans-Allen Program, which funds agricultural research at 1890 land-grant institutions, and the McIntire-Stennis Program, which supports forestry research. He also wants to raise the profile of AAMU’s forestry program and expand the college’s work in emerging areas, including artificial intelligence in agriculture, regenerative agriculture and controlled-environment agriculture.

“One of the things that the federal government has been telling our 1890s is that we have to get into the AI space — AI and agriculture,” LaVergne said. “That is one initiative that we definitely want to pursue.”

LaVergne said AI applications in agriculture can help researchers and producers more precisely identify plant diseases, water needs and pest problems, allowing resources to be targeted more efficiently. Building expertise in these areas, he said, will help strengthen AAMU’s agricultural research capabilities as technology continues to transform the field.

In his University-level role as associate vice president for Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies, LaVergne’s responsibilities include undergraduate and faculty affairs, curriculum, course schedules, promotion and tenure and other academic operations. He also contributes to University initiatives including commencement and honors convocation.

Across his academic leadership roles, LaVergne is focused on improving student retention, matriculation and academic outcomes. His goals include reducing D, F and withdrawal rates and ensuring students have access to meaningful courses and degree programs while faculty have the training, equipment and other resources necessary to support student achievement.

His goals for the college are also closely aligned with broader University priorities. LaVergne wants the college to make measurable contributions toward AAMU achieving R2 research status and reaching an enrollment of 10,000 students. He envisions growth in graduate and doctoral degree offerings and attainment, research expenditures and student retention as important measures of the college’s contribution to those goals.

“We want the reflection to show that the College of Agriculture played a big part in getting us to R2 status,” LaVergne said. “We want to show that we increased the retention rate in the college by ensuring that our faculty members have the things they need — the training, the equipment, the resources that they needed — so that we can have meaningful classes, meaningful offerings, and meaningful degrees.”