Last week, ECOP past chair Lisa Townson and ECOP BLC Chair Rick Avery attended a series of meetings with Lewis-Burke in Washington, DC. The main focus of the meetings was to follow up on the ECOP Health Tiger Team recommendations, particularly to discuss common ground and potential future partnerships. Organizations Lisa and Rick met with included:
- Brookings Rural Commission
- National Rural Health Association
- Feeding America
- USDA Office of the Secretary
- National Science Foundation
Future virtual meetings are planned with the American Enterprise Institute, Congressional Agriculture Committee Staff, American Enterprise Institute Rural Commission, NIH Office of Nutrition Research, Fix Our Food, and Health Resources Services Administration Bureau of Primary Health Care.
Lisa and Rick were accompanied by the following members of the Extension ED&A team: Rich Bonanno, Doreen Hauser-Lindstrom, Bill Hoffman, and Maria Marzullo.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) is soliciting applications for membership to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board and the Citrus Disease Subcommittee (CDS).
NAREEE is the advisory board charged with providing advice to the Secretary of Agriculture and land-grant colleges and universities on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension and economics. Individuals from across the agricultural sector—including scientists, educators, producers, interest group advocates, and other industry experts, are welcome to self-nominate and apply for a vacant position on the Board.
The Board is statutorily required to have 15 appointed members from four categories: Three (3) members from National Farm or Producer Organizations, two (2) members from Academic or Research Societies, five (5) members from Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education, and five (5) members from Industry, Consumer, or Rural Interests.
Visit the NAREEE Advisory Board website: https://nareeeab.ree.usda.gov/membership to review a complete list of the Board and CDS membership categories or learn more about these stakeholder categories.
Be part of a Virginia-Tech Extension Impact Focus Group
You are invited to participate in a focus group as part of a project examining how Extension programs identify, evaluate, and share impact statements (IRB #26-757 Exempt Research).
Impact statements play a critical role in demonstrating Extension’s public value, supporting accountability, and strengthening visibility among decision makers. Approaches to selecting, evaluating, and sharing high-quality impact statements vary widely across states and institutions. This project, supported by the APLU BAA Communications and Marketing Committee, will directly benefit Extension programs and lead to the development of supportive resources that could be used by all states/territories to enhance how we capture our impact.
In addition to a structured review of impact statements from the National Impacts Database, the group will convene focus groups with key collaborators (Extension administrators, evaluators, or communicators) to learn more about:
- How your Extension program evaluates and shares impact statements
- Common challenges in capturing and communicating outcomes
- Training or resources currently available, and what additional support could be most helpful
- Opportunities to strengthen impact reporting nationwide
Focus groups will be approximately 60-90 minutes and held via Zoom. We aim to speak with 30-35 Extension professionals in focus groups by region/institution type (1890, Tribal, North Central, Northeast, Southern, Western) with responses summarized at this level.
If you are willing to participate, please indicate your interest in this Qualtrics form. The group will follow up to schedule the focus group sessions with participants.
2027 CARET/BAA Washington Conference
The 2027 CARET/BAA Washington Conference is upon us!
The meeting will be held March 1-4, 2027, in Washington, DC and bring together CARET delegates, Board on Agriculture Assembly members, land-grant university leaders, and agricultural stakeholders to engage and advance priorities for agricultural research, Extension, education, and the broader land-grant university system.
This year's theme, "Capacity to Deliver: Investing in America's Land-grant System," will emphasize the importance of sustained federal investment, particularly capacity funding, in enabling universities to maintain investment in research and Extension, support faculty and students, and serve farmers and all communities who benefit from the land-grant mission.
The conference will strengthen relationships among CARET delegates, AHS members, BAA leaders, and broader stakeholders, and reinforce the value of a coordinated national voice in advocating for the future of the land-grant university system. Attendees will then go to Capitol Hill to communicate the funding requests of the Board on Agriculture Assembly to members of Congress and congressional staff.
Note: The meeting will take place March 1-4 but, consult with your school delegation/the agenda when booking flights. APLU programming concludes the evening of March 3rd.
We look forward to seeing you in DC! See more information and register.
