Strawman/Papers

Northeast Region Selected Regional Priorities for Multistate, Integrated Research and Extension Projects

Through a process culminating in a joint planning session on January 30, 2001, in College Park, MD, between the Northeast Extension Directors (NEED) and the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA), the current leadership of the two groups here summarize the agreed upon priorities for joint work in coming months and years.

The joint planning meeting included wide-ranging discussion of priority areas of stakeholder need, including topics as broad as energy and transportation issues in the region. It is acknowledged here that NERA and NEED members may indeed partner with others well beyond the two units at our respective land-grant universities to develop extension and/or research programs. This list of Selected Regional Priorities has a more narrow focus and purpose: clearly stating the most important, overlapping areas of agreed upon community/stakeholder need and NEED/NERA problem solving capacity or intent to build capacity-thus intention to undertake co-joint (multi-state, integrated) initiatives. Collaboration using existing resources and joint seeking of additional resources to address these areas is intended.

Role of Champions

Also included are champions and administrative liaisons that have agreed to accept regional responsibility for increasing the number and quality of funded Northeast Region multi-state and integrated projects. These champions were identified based upon their:

The champions, with assistance from Northeast research and extension directors as necessary, will pull together a multi-state, integrated team. The team will collaborate in developing the project descriptions that address the priorities defined in this document. The project descriptions will include the faculty and finances necessary to achieve measurable and successful impact. The project descriptions will become the basis for proposals to various funding organizations.

In the short run, there is a critical need to respond to the recently issued IFAFS request for proposals. In the long run, the champions/teams are to actively seek resources from a variety of sources beyond IFAFS and USDA.

Selected Regional Priorities

  1. Environment, natural resources, land stewardship
    1. Intersection of urban/rural communities related to land use (including open space planning) and
    2. Water management including wetlands, watershed, and water quality and quantity

    Other subtopics of mutual interest include:

    • Woodlot management
    • Human and agricultural wastes
    • Control of (particularly ecosystem threatening) invasive organisms
    • Environmental and bioremediation technologies

    Champion:David Drake
    Assistant Extension Specialist
    University and Cook College
    Mediarology Building
    80 Nichol Avenue
    New Brunswick, NJ 08903-8525
    Phone: 732-932-1509
    E-mail: drake@AESOP.rutgers.edu

    Administrative Liaison:Daniel Decker
    Director
    Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station
    241 Roberts Hall Cornell University
    Ithaca, NY 14853
    Phone: 607-255-2559, 607-255-2552
    Fax: 607-255-9499
    E-mail: djd6@cornell.edu>

  2. Family and youth Promoting healthy lifestyles; youth/families at risk

    Other subtopics of mutual interest include:

    • Parenting
    • Youth mentoring
    • Violence and the community
    • Learning readiness

    Champion:Stephen F. Hamilton (Invited)
    Professor, Human Development
    Cornell University
    G57 Martha Van Cornell University
    Ithaca, NY 14850
    Phone: 607-255-8394
    Fax: 607-255-3769
    E-mail: sfh3@cornell.edu

    Administrative Liaison:Lavon Bartel
    Extension Director
    University of Maine
    5741 Libby Hall, Room 102
    Orono, ME 04469-5741
    Phone: 207-581-2811
    Fax: 207-581-1387
    E-mail: lbartel@umce.umext.maine.edu

  3. Relationship of food to health Food security throughout the food chain, including integrated pest management

    Other subtopics of mutual interest include:

    • Human health impacts: nutrition, diet, obesity, diabetes education, and overall health
    • Food security and access for needy, underserved populations
    • Community-based food systems

    Champion:Guendoline Brown
    Extension Specialist
    West Virginia University
    605 Knapp Hall
    P.O. Box 6031
    Morgantown, WV 26506
    Phone: 304-293-2694 Ext. 3424
    E-mail: gbrown2@wvu.edu

    Administrative Liaison:Cameron Hackney
    Dean, College of Agriculture, Forestry, & Consumer Sciences
    West Virginia University
    1170 Agricultural Sciences Building
    P.O. Box 6108
    Morgantown, WV 26506
    Phone: 304-293-2395
    E-mail: chackney@wvu.edu

  4. Rural and urban community vitality
    1. Agricultural viability, including profitability, niche market opportunities, ag-tourism, aquaculture systems, non-labor intensive production
    2. Community capacity building, including leadership, urban-rural issue policy formation/practice, access to new technologies, workforce development

    Other subtopics of mutual interest include:

    • Focus of above on specific sectors (e.g. dairy)
    • Energy issues

    Champion: Stephan J. Goetz
    Director and Professor
    The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
    Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Dept. 7E Armsby Building
    The Pennsylvania State University
    University Park, PA 16802-5602
    Phone: 814-863-4656 Fax: 814-863-0586
    E-mail: sjg16@email.psu.edu

    Administrative Liaison: Adesoji Adelaja, Rutgers University
    Dean and Director of Research
    Cook College and the New Jersey
    Agricultural Experiment Station
    88 Lipman Drive
    New Brunswick, NJ 08901
    Phone: 732-932-1000 Ext.574
    E-mail: adelaja@aesop.rutgers.edu

  5. Crops and livestock
    1. Functional genomics and bioinformatics
    2. Bio-based products
      (forest products, nutraceuticals, functional foods, value-added products development; consumer acceptance of biotechnology products)

    Champion:Jane Kolodinsky
    University of Vermont
    202 Morrill Hall
    Burlington, VT 05405
    Phone: 802-656-4616
    E-mail: jkolodin@zoo.uvm.edu

    Administrative Liaison: Paul A. Backman
    Director, Agricultural Experiment Station
    Pennsylvania State University
    217 Agricultural Administration Building
    University Park, PA 16802
    Phone: 814-865-5410
    Fax: 814-863-7905
    E-Mail: pbackman@psu.edu

Prepared and summarized by: