MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville welcomes Anthony “Tony” Contento as its new dean of the School of Agriculture, Business & Technology.
“Dr. Contento is an innovative leader who I am confident will continue the tradition of excellence that has made the School of Agriculture, Business &Technology one of the best in the region,” said SUNY Morrisville Provost Barry Spriggs. “Most of all, he has always championed and advanced the mission of student learning and success.”
Contento comes to Morrisville with a strong background in academic development, assessment and budget management, including experience with Middle States accreditation procedures. He holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Wyoming and a B.S. in recombinant gene technology from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Contento most recently was program manager of Academic Affairs at Colorado State University Global. In that role he was responsible for program planning and implementation for the academic areas of general education, mathematics, sciences, and interdisciplinary professional studies. He also supervised budget planning, faculty and student affairs and department partnerships, while serving as the dean-level manager for all mathematics and science programs.
Prior to his work at Global, Contento was a visiting assistant professor, interim assistant provost and interim director of agricultural research and testing at SUNY Oswego and Port of Oswego.
During his tenure at SUNY Oswego, he pioneered an interactive learning lab at the Port of Oswego. Designed to streamline agricultural product testing, the Grain Analysis Lab provided students with hands-on training in agricultural product quality and contamination testing.
“It comes down to applied learning,” said Contento, who started on June 1. “It’s about directing the students and industry partners to understand that every course a student takes has a purpose. My focus (at SUNY Morrisville) will be the programs in my school and providing the best experience that will lead to student success.”
Contento also is interested in exploring micro-credentials in agriculture studies, providing opportunities for industry professionals to learn additional skills.
“We want to find new opportunities for our students,” he said. “It’s important for everyone.”
Contento also has extensive experience with fostering community and corporate partnerships. His visionary work at the Port of Oswego garnered grants of more than a quarter of a million dollars and the testing results were recognized as aligned with USDA standards.
