University of Nebraska alumna and advocate Jane Schuchardt has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board.
The NAREEE Advisory Board provides feedback to the Secretary of Agriculture, to USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area, and to Land-grant colleges and universities on food and agricultural research, education, extension and economics priorities and policies.
The Advisory Board also provides recommendations on high-priority science needs to agricultural committees of the U.S. Congress.
Schuchardt brings much experience to her role. From 1988 to 2010, she served as National Program Leader at USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
She also served as Executive Director, Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), the representative leadership and governing body of Cooperative Extension nationwide – a part of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) (2011-2016). During the course of her career, she has also held faculty and extension positions at Iowa State University.
Currently, she sits on the University of Nebraska President’s Advisory Council, and holds numerous other volunteer and advocacy positions.
She and her husband, Rick, own and manage an organic farm northeast of Elgin, Nebraska.
“I am thrilled that Jane will have the opportunity to positively impact the future of federal agricultural policies and programs through her leadership on this board,” said Mike Boehm, NU vice president and Harlan Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “She possesses a unique and invaluable blend of practical experience, leadership capabilities, and a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture, rural development, the land-grand system and to Nebraska.”
NAREEE Board members are selected and appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Each NAREEE Advisory Board member represents a specific category of U.S. agricultural stakeholder as outlined in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018.
These areas include farming, ranching, food production, processing, forestry research, crop and animal science, Land-grant Institutions, other colleges or universities with a historic commitment to research in food and agricultural sciences, food retailing and marketing, rural economic development, and natural resources and consumer interest groups.
“The NAREEE Advisory Board is an integral component of USDA’s scientific enterprise,” said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics.
“USDA relies on these scientific experts to provide evidence-based insight and recommendations as we develop innovative, sustainable, strategic and inclusive science priorities that serve all Americans.”
NAREEE Board activities are carried out by four committees and subcommittees that are focused on specific agricultural science areas considered by the full committee.
Those committees are the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council, the Specialty Crop Committee, the Citrus Disease Subcommittee and the recently established Pollinator Subcommittee.
