STEVENS POINT – An associate dean in the College of Natural Resources has been selected as the next dean of the nationally acclaimed college at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, UWSP announced this week.
Brian Sloss, associate dean of Outreach, Extension and Extramural Funds, will become dean of the college, effective July 1. He succeeds Christine Thomas, who has served as dean since 2005.
As associate dean since 2014, Sloss has been involved in several outreach, extension and community engagement collaborations, according to UWSP. He joined UW-Stevens Point in 2002 as assistant unit leader of the Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, a partnership among the U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and UW-Stevens Point.
While with fishery research unit, he established the college’s Molecular Conservation Genetics Laboratory focused on applied genetic research in fisheries, wildlife and other resources. The laboratory continues to be a key partner with state, regional and national agencies in Great Lakes and freshwater fisheries management efforts.
“For 50 years, the CNR has consistently produced natural resources, paper science and chemical engineering leaders known for their ability to understand, enhance, protect, and manage the world’s resources. Our interdisciplinary, talented faculty and staff educate dedicated and passionate students,” Sloss said in a news release. “I am proud of our CNR legacy and reputation and look forward to helping lead our way into our next half century.”
A native of Monmouth, Illinois, Sloss earned his bachelor’s degree in ecology, ethology and evolution at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, master’s in biology from Western Illinois University, and his PhD in zoology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
