Professor - Feedlot Extension Specialist

Requisition Number: F_260066

Department: Animal Science-0830

Description of Work:

The Department of Animal Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) is seeking applications for an open rank professor as a Feedlot Extension Specialist. This 12-month (calendar year), tenure-track appointment will create and deliver world-class Extension and research programs focused on beef feedlot nutrition and management. The apportionment is 60% Extension and 40% research.

This position will be located at a Research, Extension, and Education Center (REEC) in western Nebraska with preference toward the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center (PREEC) in Scottsbluff, NE.

The Feedlot Extension Specialist will contribute to the integrated Extension and research land‑grant mission of the Department of Animal Science and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) as an effective scholar and citizen, including supporting student recruitment and IANR science literacy, by advancing Nebraska's beef feedlot industry on a statewide level through impactful outreach and applied research.

This specialist will interact with the feedlot community across the state and be a statewide leader in feedlot Extension programming by delivering science‑based information and practical tools to support feedlot operators, allied industry professionals, veterinarians, and nutritional consultants. They will be expected to conduct applied research, seek extramural funding, and work across disciplines to help address key challenges in feedlot management and nutrition, labor recruitment, sustainability, and profitability.

The specialist will provide feedlot Extension and research leadership in each of the three (western, central, and eastern) cattle feeding regions of the Nebraska beef industry and will provide leadership for facilitating funded projects at PREEC.

• Provide leadership in planning, developing, delivering, and evaluating innovative and impactful statewide feedlot Extension programs.
• Serve as Chair of the Nebraska Feedlot Extension Committee, working collaboratively with other Nebraska Extension and Great Plains Veterinary Education Center personnel.
• Develop signature areas of programming as expertise and need dictates, including overseeing the Beef Feedlot Round tables, as well as new and innovative programming structures.
• Engage with producers through social media, podcasts, webinars, and industry summits. Create relevant, high‑impact digital content and maintain a social media presence.
• Represent UNL at state, regional, and national events. Seek funding through grants and partnerships with industry, commodity groups, and government agencies to support extension programming.
• Publish peer‑reviewed extension articles and develop educational materials for professional and lay audiences.

• Service feedlot sectors in western, central, and eastern Nebraska.
• Establish relationships and partnerships in the Nebraska panhandle region to address stakeholder needs through Extension programming and/or in feedlot/PREEC research in collaboration with personnel at PREEC and other Extension livestock faculty (specialists and educators) across the state.
• Schedule regular visits and other engagement activities to develop relationships with producers in the panhandle and statewide.
• Provide engagement opportunities for each region by working with educators to develop and host periodic producer meetings at the county level.
• Generate high‑throughput Extension communication (text and social media) specific to the problems/challenges encountered by producers in each region.

• Develop and maintain an externally funded research program that addresses critical issues in beef feedlot systems. Areas include management, nutrition, health, sustainability, production efficiency, etc.
• Lead and collaborate on interdisciplinary research with faculty in ruminant nutrition, animal health, agricultural engineering, economics, and others to solve real‑world challenges for the feedlot…