Dr. Thomas Fretz
University of Maryland at College Park
Biography:
Thomas A. Fretz was born in 1942 in Buffalo, NY. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in 1964 in horticulture, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1966 and 1970 from the University of Delaware in horticulture and plant science.
In September 1994, Dr. Fretz assumed responsibilities as Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Director of both the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and Maryland Cooperative Extension, at the University of Maryland. During his tenure as Dean and Director, the college has changed names, merged several departments to achieve greater administrative and budgetary efficiency, initiated a major capital campaign, increased quality and quantity of undergraduate students, and initiated the development of a new and imaginative curriculum in Environmental Science and Policy. Additionally, under Dr. Fretz' leadership, the college has continued to find resources to make major renovations of facilities, restructured the extension communication, distance education and computer support unit, and led a legislative effort to fully fund the regional veterinary college. Lastly, the college has hired 55 new faculty (47% women, 12% African-American, and 12% Hispanic) since 1994, and been credited with significantly increasing the diversity of the faculty.
In his role as Dean and Director, Dr. Fretz represents the college on the following: Governor's Chesapeake Bay Cabinet, Maryland Food Center Authority, Maryland 4-H Foundation Board of Directors, Maryland Agricultural Commission, Coastal and Environmental Policy Planning Center Advisory, Chesapeake Bay Council, Delmarva Poultry Industry Board of Directors, Associates of National Ag Library Board of Directors, UMES President's Advisory Council, South East Consortium for International Development Executive Committee, the Governor's/Legislative Inter-Agency Nutrient Reduction Oversight Committee, and the Maryland State Fair Board of Directors. He also served as NASULGC's Northeast Administrative Heads Section Chair (1998-1999) and as Chair of NASULGC's Board on Agriculture (1999-2001).
Dr. Fretz has served the American Society for Horticultural Science as Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President Education Division, publications committee, finance committee, program committee co-chair, and annual meeting general chair. Additionally, he served the society as Associate Editor of the Journal of ASHS and HortScience. Fretz was co-recipient of the Kenneth Post Award and was elected a Fellow of ASHS. Additionally, he has been a member of the USDA Advisory Board of the U.S. National Arboretum, and Board of Directors of the American Horticulture Society.
Dr. Fretz has published more than 60 journal papers, 70 research reports and numerous book reviews, extension bulletins and popular articles from his research activities. In 1982, he initiated the Journal of Environmental Horticulture to serve the nursery and 'green' industries and has served as editor since its inception. His efforts to bring research results to the industry in a straightforward and timely manner were key in his being awarded the 1995 Norman Jay Coleman Award from the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
Dr. Fretz has provided leadership for developing renewed international efforts in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He has initiated student study abroad programs in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Russia, and has been actively involved in developing distance education in Russia and Extension programs in Uzbekistan.
Previous positions held include:
· Associate Dean and Director, Iowa Agriculture & Home Economics
Experiment Station - 1989-1994
· Interim Director of International Development, College of Agriculture
& Life Sciences, Virginia Tech - 1989
· Professor & Department Head, Department of Horticulture,
Virginia Tech - 1981-1989
· Professor & Department Head, Department of Horticulture,
Kansas State University - 1979-1981
· Assistant/Associate Professor of Horticulture, Department of
Horticulture, Ohio State University - 1972-1979
· Assistant Professor of Horticulture, Department of Horticulture,
University of Georgia - 1969-1972
Tom and his wife Susan have two children, Peter (a urology resident at
the University of Iowa Medical Center in Iowa City) and Kristin (a reliability/component
engineer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab).