Land-grant lessons for Anthropocene universities

Established amidst the bloodshed of the Civil War, land-grant universities, together with the associated agricultural experiment stations and cooperative extension services, have played a crucial role in democratizing scientific knowledge and addressing intertwined educational, environmental, economic, and democratic challenges within the USA. Indeed, they have arguably pioneered the idea of “usable science.” Today, the urgent challenges of the Anthropocene demand a more robust relationship between scientific research and on-the-ground action, strong networks sharing local lessons globally, and channels for injecting global, long-term perspectives into the noise of short-termism. The land-grant experience provides lessons for “Anthropocene universities” seeking to tackle these challenges, including the importance of (1) establishing or expanding university-based boundary organizations akin to cooperative extension, (2) incentivizing the integration of engagement into the university’s research, teaching, and service missions, (3) centering values of democracy, justice, equity, and inclusion in engagement, and (4) cooperating across institutions and sectors. Given the urgency of fully engaging academic institutions as players and connectors in the real-world challenges of addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, there is little time to waste.

116 Oklahoma State University Continuing Education Online Courses for Extension Educators in 2020

The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 established a system of cooperative extension services to connect the land-grant universities to the people. Agricultural extension educators serve as the “front door” to the University, providing research-based information in a wide variety of agricultural topics such as livestock, crops, entomology, natural resources, etc. A bachelor’s degree in agriculture is a requirement for employment as an agricultural extension educator in most states. Generally, most new hires are knowledgeable in one or more areas and perhaps possess a degree focused in the same area. However, many educators are not fluent in all the agriculture sectors they are required to address on a daily basis. Our objective is to gradually develop an online in-service program specifically designed to strengthen educators’ knowledge and proficiency in basic beef cattle production. These courses will consist of five to ten modules each with an estimated five hours of course work per subject. The courses will include reading material, listening and visual material, interactive activities, and quizzes to aid in learning the basics. The Introduction to Beef Cattle Nutrition course is intended to enhance extension educators’ knowledge of the nutrient requirements of beef cattle, body condition scoring, ration calculation, etc. Extension educators will be expected to pass quizzes at the end of each module with an eighty percent or higher. Oklahoma extension educators will enroll in the Introduction to Beef Cattle Nutrition course during the 2020 calendar year and complete over a ten-week period. A survey at the end of each module will allow the authors to see how effective the course was, and if the representative feels more confident in discussing and helping producers with their herd nutrition upon completion.

Tospoviruses (Family Bunyaviridae, Genus Tospovirus)

Viruses in the genus Tospovirus cause significant worldwide crop losses. The genus name is derived from the name of its first member, Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Initially observed in Australia in 1915, the spotted wilt disease of tomato was later shown to be of viral origin. The causal agent was designated TSWV, and considered to be the sole member of the tomato spotted wilt group of plant viruses until the early 1990s. At this time, the identification and characterization of several similar viruses, including Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), led to the creation of the plant-infecting Tospovirus genus within the Bunyaviridae family, a large group of predominantly animal-infecting viruses. More than a dozen tospoviruses have since been identified and characterized and previously unknown species of the genus continue to be described on a regular basis. Three tospoviruses, TSWV, INSV and Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV), are known to occur in the US. This document is Fact Sheet PP-212, one of a series of the Plant Pathology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Services, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published October 2005.

Getting Started in Butterfly Gardening

This publication was developed for individuals who are just getting started in butterfly gardening or who want to pursue the hobby with a good chance of success. This document is ENY-722, one of a series of Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Services, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication Date: February 2005.

Stink Bugs and Leaffooted Bugs Are Important Fruit, Nut, Seed and Vegetable Pests

Stink bugs (Pentatomidae) and leaffooted bugs (Coreidae) are important direct pests of many seed, fruit, vegetable and nut crops. Recently they have become serious pests of cotton because of the reduction in pesticide use resulting from the eradication of the boll weevil and the implementation of genetically-modified cotton. This document is ENY-718, one of a series of Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Services, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication Date: April 2005. ENY-718/IN534: Stink Bugs and Leaffooted Bugs Are Important Fruit, Nut, Seed and Vegetable Pests (ufl.edu)

Developing a Program Plan Based on the Program Planning Cycle

For over a century, Cooperative Extension services within the United States have utilized specific program development plans to create or refine optimal programmatic services for clientele (Franz, Garst, Gagnon, 2015). Though developmental models may vary, planning or refinement in any program features some core developmental principles. This article provides an overview of these fundamental tenets within program planning, how a planning process informs an overarching development plan, and why these components are integral to Extension services. The article outlines how the incorporation of a planning process and the application of targeted, outcome-focused planning principles is paramount in building a program capable of delivering sustainable and desirable outcomes to clients.

The Psychology of Insight

This article discusses various features of ENGAGE, a program funded by the National Science Foundation in 2009. Modeled afterc cooperative extension services at land grant institutions, ENGAGE identifies evidence-based retention strategies and develops ways to use them in the classroom. It recognizes that professors are pressed for time, so it develops turnkey tools and resources that implement retention strategies without spending time on course development. ENGAGE focuses on three evidence-based, easily implemented strategies to improve retention: (1) Integrate everyday examples in engineering into courses; (2) identify and remediate students with weak spatial visualization skills; and (3) improve how faculty and students interact inside and outside of the classroom. ENGAGE is currently working with more than 50 engineering schools and plans to expand to more than 65 schools this year. ENGAGE strategies support their efforts and facilitate student success.