The prosperity of rural communities is a priority for Nebraska Extension, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and the University of Nebraska. Coordinated multidisciplinary effort is needed to address this grand challenge.

IANR and Nebraska Extension invite nominations and applications for two positions designed to advance outcomes and impacts on community and economic vitality among rural communities. The Director, outlined in this announcement, and the Extension Program Leader will collaborate to provide intellectual and strategic leadership for Rural Prosperity Nebraska. We are seeking people who are collaborative, innovative, visionary, inclusive, and entrepreneurial to help us mobilize existing faculty expertise in conducting relevant high impact research and scholarship, extension programming, and other community engagement efforts to improve all facets of rural prosperity throughout Nebraska and the United States.

Recognizing that diversity within a context of inclusivity enhances creativity, innovation, impact, and a sense of belonging, IANR and Nebraska Extension are committed to creating research, Extension, and teaching and learning environments that are inclusive of all forms of human diversity. We actively encourage applications from and nominations of individuals from underrepresented groups including racial and ethnic minorities, women, sexual and gender minorities, persons living with disabilities, and veterans.

The Director has a partial administrative appointment, which will be for five-year renewable terms, subject to satisfactory annual reviews and a satisfactory formal reappointment review.

Overview of the Position
The Director fosters an inclusive culture in which all contributions to Rural Prosperity Nebraska are appreciated and recognized, collaboration and innovation are encouraged, and the abilities of all are engaged to fully realize the potential of the team and each contributor. The incumbents exemplify the responsible management of resources to maximize the effectiveness of those resources and support others in the responsible management of resources. They seek for and responsibly deploy resources that will facilitate achievement of strategic goals. They ensure opportunities are open to all, programs and initiatives are inclusive of all constituencies, and efforts are made to engage diverse audiences, especially those that are traditionally underrepresented. In working together with the Extension Program Leader, they synthesize a vision for Rural Prosperity Nebraska with input from faculty, staff, and community leaders that encompass all activities and initiatives. They continuously examine the strategic framework for relevancy and refresh it as needed.

The Director, a tenured position, will have a research appointment within a tenure-home academic unit and function as a faculty member within that unit. The Director will be an accomplished scholar conducting relevant high impact research and scholarship in an area relevant to rural prosperity. They will provide leadership in coordinating research and scholarship, in facilitating research teams and community-based research, and in overseeing relevant strategic priorities. The Director will supervise the coordinator of the Rural Fellows Program and coordinate with the directors of the Thriving Index, the Rural Poll, and Nebraska Source Link.

Together, the Director and the Extension Program Leader will form a strong and creative team providing vision and direction for this unique initiative. The specific responsibilities of the Director, as well as the Extension Program Leader, are found at https://ianr.unl.edu/rural-prosperity-nebraska-position-searches.

Rural Prosperity Nebraska
Nebraska boasts the third largest agricultural economy in the United States, and one in four jobs in the Cornhusker State is tied to agriculture and natural resources. The success of the state is closely tied to agriculture. Conversely, the success of agriculture is closely tied to the vitality of the rural communities that farmers, ranchers, and the businesses that serve them call home.

In 2020, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources launched Rural Prosperity Nebraska, signaling a doubling down of UNL’s commitment to rural development and community prosperity. Community vitality is also embedded in the university’s systemwide five-year strategic vision, as articulated by the president of the University of Nebraska.

Rural Prosperity Nebraska brings together Nebraska Extension professionals working hand-in-hand with communities across the state and with rural scholarship of faculty members from throughout the University of Nebraska system.   Rural Prosperity Nebraska also comprises the Rural Poll, now in its 26th year, which aggregates the voice of rural residents on important statewide issues each year; the Rural Fellows Program, which places college students in rural communities each summer to complete service-learning projects; as well as a host of other innovative programs.

Nebraska Extension
Nebraska Extension is a nationally respected educational leader working to help Nebraskans enhance their lives through research-based education. As the university’s front door across the state, Nebraska Extension accomplishes this role by bringing research-based programming across multiple subject areas to both urban and rural audiences. Its goal is to translate scientific discoveries for practical application, engage target audiences to co-create solutions to vexing problems, and change lives through opportunities for learning and engagement.

With over 325 Extension Specialists, Educators and Assistants, and a presence in every county, Nebraska Extension has tremendous impact on the success of our state – its youth, its families, its farms and ranches, its communities, and its economy. Nebraska Extension uses state-of-the-art technologies and engagement pedagogies to reach an increasingly diverse audience. Extension professionals across the state serve local producers, communities, businesses, and families. They work in interdisciplinary teams designed to take on statewide issues important to Nebraskans, such as integrated crop and livestock systems, irrigation efficiency, food access, and early childhood development.

Program Areas (https://extension.unl.edu/educational-programs/)

Extension programming is strategically focused in the following seven areas. Teams from across multiple disciplines contribute to programming in each of these areas to enhance impact.

•     Rural Prosperity Nebraska
•     The Learning Child
•     Community Environment
•     4-H Youth Development
•     Beef Systems
•     Water and Integrated Cropping Systems
•     Food, Nutrition and Health

Additional information about Nebraska Extension may be obtained from its website, https://extension.unl.edu/.