Time in that position: 1 year
Distribution of efforts: 60% Research & 40% Extension
Degree held, thesis/dissertation topic: PhD in plant pathology with a focus on Cercospora leaf blight of soybean
Current commodity assignment: Sugarbeets
Typical workload in spring:
Attend crop consultants meeting to give updates on disease management and showcase research through an exhibit at the International Sugarbeet Institute in March. I also participate in the spring Extension staff development meeting. During spring, I plan the layout and experimental plans for all field trials and identify locations for trials and participate in planting of field trials.
Typical workload in summer:
Diagnose about 100 sugarbeet samples for various diseases and send reports; host an annual field day to showcase research and convey latest information to the growers and industry; teach field practicum class on sugarbeet disease identification and management; one or two radio interviews to update on sugarbeet disease outlook and management during the season; participate in weekly phone calls (Crop Calls) with Extension personnel and state specialists to give updates about sugarbeet disease situations and answer any questions; visit growers’ fields to identify disease problems (where the consultants or agriculturists are not certain about possible problem) and provide information on management; conduct filed and growth chamber experiments; travel to several off-station research sites to evaluate filed experiments; conduct lab research; attend North Central Division APS meeting; attend Sugarbeet researcher’s tour.
Typical workload in fall:
Conduct lab research; conduct field and growth chamber experiments; participate in the fall Extension staff development meeting; participate in rating disease nurseries for industry; perform disease rating of all research plots; analyze data from all field experiments; attend and present at the annual APS meeting.
Typical workload in winter:
Prepare and submit research proposals to the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota & North Dakota (SBREB); research presentation at the SBREB; present the research proposal to the SBREB and justify the funding; several talks at the winter grower meetings between January and February; radio interview.
Most rewarding thing about working in Extension:
Working and direct interaction with clientele; it is a direct channel for me to deliver a message from my research to clientele. I like the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when you hear about the success stories of the growers based on your recommendations. It gives you a broader perspective on challenges faced by growers with respect to complex management decisions that they have to make.
Challenges with Extension work; what early career professionals need to know:
It takes 2-3 years for your clientele to get to know you and follow your recommendations. It takes up lot of productive time for travel. It’s hard to get funding to support Extension efforts. You need a lot of practice to write Extension publications.
Put into context the way Extension is evaluated at your institution:
Impact on clientele’s practices and level of understanding should be documented. They evaluate the number of presentations/talks, information materials, print/web, improvement of the quality of life and conservation of natural resources, and how responsive you are to the needs of clientele
Briefly describe the way tenure and/or promotion differs compared to research or teaching positions:
It is similar to teaching/research positions except with an Extension appointment, letters of recommendation will also be sought from members of clientele/grower organizations. The above criteria will be a part of tenure and/or promotion.
Advice to graduate students and early career professionals who want to pursue a career in Extension:
It’s all about effective communication skills. Gain experience in applied and basic research skills. The growers and clientele should feel that you actually care about them before they can listen to you. You need to be expert at how to make things simple for easy understanding. Don’t preach, just communicate. Be an effective team worker. Never say something without solid data.
