Campus-Based Faculty Directory

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Vice President Kenneth White ken.white@usu.edu 435-797-2201
Associate Vice President Brian
Higginbotham
brian.h@usu.edu 435-797-7276

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Director 4-H and Youth Programs,
Extension Assistant Director
Science, Technology, Engineering, 
Math (STEM) programs for children/youth

Dave Frances dave.frances@usu.edu 435-797-0930
Assistant Director,
4-H & Youth Programs

4-H mentoring, professional development,
teen leadership
Craig Dart craig.dart@usu.edu 435-797-0208

State 4-H Volunteer Specialist
4-H volunteer development, healthy living

Stacey MacArthur

stacey.macarthur@usu.edu

435-797-2202

College and Career Readiness

Kelsey Romney kelsey.romney@usu.edu 435-797-2250

State 4-H Activities Coordinator
Event planning and curricula

Megan Hendrickson megan.hendrickson@usu.edu  

State 4-H Agriculture and Livestock Programs
4-H volunteer management, agriculture, livestock, Collegiate 4-H club advisor

Jessie Hadfield

jessie.hadfield@usu.edu

435-797-8442

State 4-H STEM Program Specialist
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) programs for children/youth

Deb Ivie deb.ivie@usu.edu   

Shooting Sports & Outdoor Education

Blake Clark blake.clark@usu.edu  

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Agricultural Systems Technology & Education
Ag Engineering & Pesticide Specialist

Pesticides, agricultural engineering, energy
efficiency, electrical powered equipment,
agricultural structures, and agricultural safety

Richard Beard richard.beard@usu.edu  435-797-0573

Environmental Quality Specialist
Animal waste management, air quality,
water quality, AFO/CAFO regulations,
and composting

Rhonda Miller rhonda.miller@usu.edu  435-797-3772
Program Director, 

Agriculture in the Classroom
Agricultural literacy education

Denise 

Stewardson

denise.stewardson@usu.edu 435-797-1592
Agronomy
Agronomist

Agronomy, irrigated and dryland
agriculture, and crop management

Earl Creech earl.creech@usu.edu 435-797-7319
Animal Health
Beef Specialist Matthew Garcia matt.garcia@usu.edu  435-797-2144
Poultry Specialist

Poultry health and disease, poultry
management, and production

David Frame david.frame@usu.edu 435-623-1402
Veterinarian Equine &
Food Animals Specialist

Livestock (animal) health, 
community agrosecurity planning

Kerry Rood kerry.rood@usu.edu 435-797-1882
Veterinarian Dairy Specialist

Dairy cow, goat and sheep
health, and epidemiology

David Wilson david.wilson@usu.edu 435-797-7120
Crop Production
Fruit Specialist

Tree fruits and berry crops

Brent Black brent.black@usu.edu  435-797-2174
Nuts and Fruits Specialist Teryl Roper teryl.roper@usu.edu  435-797-8698
Vegetable Specialist

Commercial vegetables and
home gardening

Dan Drost

dan.drost@usu.edu 435-797-2258
Dairy Production
Dairy Youth Specialist

4-H and FFA dairy judging contests,
Junior Holstein Association shows,
and activities

Justin Jenson justin.jenson@usu.edu  435-245-6067
Dairy Specialist

Dairy management

Allen Young allen.young@usu.edu  435-797-3763
Economics
Agriculture & Food Marketing Specialist

Agricultural marketing, agribusiness
development, and finance

Kynda Curtis

kynda.curtis@usu.edu

435-797-0444

Applied Economics Specialist
Marketing of agricultural commodities,
risk management, and beef cattle economics

Dillon Feuz  dillon.feuz@usu.edu 435-797-2296

Agriculture Entrepreneurship Specialist
Agricultural entrepreneurship, tax issues,
and community development

Ruby Ward ruby.ward@usu.edu 435-797-2323
Extension Economist Ryan Larsen ryan.larsen@usu.edu   
Natural Resource and Regional Economics Specialist Paul Jakus paul.jakus@usu.edu 435-797-2309
Equine
Equine Specialist

Equine health business management
and equine breeding program

Karl Hoopes karl.hoopes@usu.edu 435-535-5140
Irrigation
Irrigation Specialist

Agriculture irrigation, urban irrigation,
water resources, and water management

Niel Allen n.allen@usu.edu 435-797-3926
Landscape Horticulture & Design
Water Conservation &
Turfgrass Specialist

Landscape water conservation, turfgrass
outreach and education

Kelly Kopp kelly.kopp@usu.edu  435-757-6650
Landscape Horticulture Specialist Larry Rupp  larry.rupp@usu.edu  435-232-1158
Landscape Architecture Specialist

David Anderson

david.anderson@usu.edu 

435-797-1984
Landsacpe Architecture Specialist David Evans

 david.evans@usu.edu 

435-797-0508

Plant Pest Management
Entomology Specialist

Integrated pest management in field
crops, turf, and biological control of
|arthropod pests

Ricardo
Ramirez
ricardo.ramirez@usu.edu 435-797-8088
Horticulture-Entomology Specialist

Horticultural entomology, integrated pest
management, and insect diagnostics

Diane Alston diane.alston@usu.edu  435-797-2516
Entomologist

Control of ornamental, forest, urban, and
structural pests, and identifying insects
and arachnids

Ryan Davis ryan.davis@usu.edu  435-797-2435
Integrated Pest Management
Project Leader

IPM for ornamental plants, fruits,
vegetables, andmanagement of insect
and disease pests

Marion Murray marion.murray@usu.edu  435-797-0776

Plant Pathologist
Detection, identification, and management of plant diseases

Claudia
Nischwitz
claudia.nischwitz@usu.edu 435-797-7569
CAPS Coordinator

Utah Cooperative Agricultural Pest
Survey (CAPS) program

Lori Spears lori.spears@usu.edu  801-668-4056
Soils
Soils Specialist

Soil fertility, quality, soil salinity
management, and soil testing

Grant Cardon grant.cardon@usu.edu  435-797-2278
Soil Conservation Specialist

Soil & water conservation, erosion, arid land reclamation/restoration, and
sustainable agriculture

Robert
Newhall
bob.newhall@usu.edu  435-797-2183
Weeds    
Weed Specialist
Weed managment
Corey Ransom corey.ransom@usu.edu  435-797-2242

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Business
State Director, Utah Small Business Development Center
Management consultant
Michael Finnerty mike.finnerty@usu.edu 435-919-1296
Associate State Director, Utah Small Business Development Center
Management consultant
Jason Yerka jason.yerka@usu.edu 435-919-1296
Director, Logan Small Business Development Center

Management consultant

Michael Young smike.young@usu.edu 435-797-3303
Director, Uintah Small Business Development Center

Management consultant

Mark Holmes mark.holmes@usu.edu 435-789-6100
ext 1179
Business Analyst, Tooele Small Business Development Center

Management consultant

Ryen Salazar ryen.salazar@usu.edu  435-248-1892
Community Development
Accountability/Reporting/Youth Council

Community surveys, youth city councils,
program evaluations, and reporting

Stan Guy stanley.guy@usu.edu 435-797-3221
Community Resource Development Specialist

Community collaboration, natural resource
conflict management, and non-profits

Steve Daniels

steve.daniels@usu.edu 435-797-1255
Latino Programs

Latino Specialist
Latino programming and outreach

Celina Wille celina.wille@usu.edu  435-752-6263

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
State Director, EFNEP

Basic food and nutrition and paraprofessional job development

Paula Scott paula.scott@usu.edu 801-451-3405
Food Safety & Storage
Food Quality & Entrepreneurship Specialist

Entrepreneurship, food production,
processing, and labeling

Karin Allen karin.allen@usu.edu 435-797-1768

Food Safety Specialist
Food safety (home and retail), food
preservation, food storage, and food
safety education

Brian Nummer

brian.nummer@usu.edu

435-797-2116

Food $ense
State Director, Food $ense

Nutrition and food security

Heidi LeBlanc heidi.leblanc@usu.edu 435-797-3923
Marriage & Family Relations
Family Relations Specialist

Marriage, divorce, and remarriage

Brian
Higginbotham
brian.h@usu.edu  435-797-7276
Family Relations Specialist David Schramm david.schramm@usu.edu 

435-797-8183

Nutrition
Nutrition Specialist

Obesity and health, weight loss and
nutrition behavior change

Carrie Durward carrie.durward@usu.edu 435-797-5843

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Forestry
Forestry Specialist

Forestry and trees (rural and urban), and forestry in the wildland/urban interface

Michael Kuhns mike.kuhns@usu.edu 435-797-4056

Forestry Program Associate
Forestry education and woody
biomass utilization

Darren McAvoy darren.mcavoy@usu.edu

435-797-0560

Forestry Educator

Megan Dettenmaier megan.dettenmaier@usu.edu 

435-797-8424

Utah Master Naturalist Program
Extension Assistant Professor

Environmental education programs

Mark 

Larese-Casanova

marklc@usu.edu 435-760-6146
Range
Range Extension Specialist

Grazing management, rangeland monitoring & wildlife-livestock interaction

Eric Thacker eric.thacker@usu.edu 435-797-7874

Livestock Behavior &
Rangeland Specialist

Beth Burritt

beth.burritt@usu.edu 

435-797-3576
Recreation & Tourism
Institute for Outdoor Recreation
and Tourism 
Director
Rural, community and sustainable tourism development
Jordan Smith jordan.smith@usu.edu 435-797-9174
Sustainability
Sustainable Communities Specialist

Sustainable living, waste reduction, Utah farm-chef-fork, Sustainable You! 4-H camps, permaculture, and climate change

Roslynn Brain roslynn.brain@usu.edu 435-797-5116
Water Quality
Water Quality Specialist

Surface water quality, citizen monitoring
and stem / environmental education

Nancy Mesner nancy.mesner@usu.edu  435-797-7541
Wildlife
Wildlife Specialist
Wildlife biology and managment
David Dahlgren dave.dahlgren@usu.edu 

435-881-1910

Wildlife Specialist

Wildlife biology, human-wildlife conflict
resolution, and wildlife damage management

Nicki Frey nicki.frey@usu.edu  435-586-1924
Wildlife Specialist

Human-wildlife conflicts and the
management of wildlife damage

Terry Messmer terry.messmer@usu.edu 435-797-3975

Position

Name

Email

Phone

Western Rural Development Center
Director

Economic, energy, and sustainable
development,
public policy, and rural health

Don Albrecht don.albrecht@usu.edu 435-797-2798
Western Rural Development Center
Assistant Director
Editor, Rural Connections
Betsy Newman betsy.newman@usu.edu 435-797-0218