Celebrating Extension Excellence and Diversity

Standing L-R:Terry Messmer, Utah State University; Fe Moncloa, University of California; Nozella Brown, Kansas State University;
Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA-NIFA; Michelle Rodgers (ECOP Chair) and Richard Taylor, University of Delaware. Seated L-R: Stanley
Culpepper, University of Georgia, Russell Hill, University of California; Karnita Garner, Alabama A&M University,
and Steve Green, Texas A&M University

ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, together with USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy and land-grant administrators, faculty and friends cheered the accomplishments of the Extension excellence and diversity award winners Sunday at the APLU Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. Information about the 2017 award process is available at www.aplu.org/CESawards. The deadline for nominations is 5.1.17. 

ECOP Highlights 2016 Accomplishments – Significant outcomes of ECOP national leadership occurred this year under the direction of Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair, University of Delaware. ECOP, in its effort to engage in discussion and decision-making benefiting state and local programming, focused work on private resource mobilization, innovation, national system, and urban and health programming, amongst other priorities. See bit.ly/ECOP2016Report for the 2016 ECOP Annual Report infographic. 

ECOP Announces 2017 Emphasis Areas – As Fred Schlutt, University of Alaska, accepts the gavel at a dinner meeting today in Austin, TX, he will outline ECOP emphasis areas and ongoing priorities for his year as ECOP chair. Work related to national system, private resource mobilization, urban programming and innovation will continue to new levels. Additional emphasis areas focus on more robust advocacy approaches for capacity funding and improved communications by ECOP with all Extension directors and administrators. For details, see www.aplu.org/CESGoals. 

SNAP-Ed Report Summarizes 2015 Outcomes – The national SNAP-Ed Program Development Team provides Cooperative Extension with national coordination, resources, training, and reporting. The most recent report shows Extension received $179.9 million in SNAP-Ed funding in FY 2015, employed 3,620 staff, reached 2.5 million participants and demonstrated positive program outcomes. The full report, executive summary, and infographic are available at: http://articles.extension.org/pages/73228/national-snap-ed-program-impact-reports. 

Riley Memorial Lecture Nominations Due 12.1.16 – The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) invites nominations for the 2017 AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture for presentation next spring in Washington, DC. Nominees must show outstanding scientific contributions and/or significant policy accomplishments related to research and innovation in agriculture with demonstrated societal impact. More information is available at www.aaas.org/riley-lecture. To submit nominations, email Anne Moraske at amoraske@aaas.org or call 202.326.6759.