Extension Updates

To assure that all of you are kept up to date on a regular basis, the three regional directors and the state Extension Administration Office provides bi-weekly Extension Updates. This forum is for all Extension announcements, so if you have something to distribute, please forward it to Lori Bates with FOR EXTENSION UPDATE noted.

April 23, 2014

On Behalf of Bill Nobles:


Diversity Catalyst Team (DCT)

The Colorado State University Extension Diversity Catalyst Team (DCT) invites all of Extension to celebrate the way we reach the communities we serve every day, by sharing ideas, stories, and discussion on how we 'widen the circle' of community members, participants, advisors, supporters, stakeholders and customers. As part of that effort, DCT members work to:

  1. Deepen the breadth of diversity experience and connectivity of employees who are hired;
  2. Widen the circle of clients served to reach a diverse community across Colorado to include all and;
  3. Increase the cultural competency of our current Extension staff.

Lou Swanson and the regional directors would like to invite everyone to participate in the continuing renewal of our landing page photos by providing pics and short stories of what we do. These need to come from the field and reflect our engagement with the people of Colorado. Please reflect on a moment you ‘Widened the Circle’ in your community.

Ruth Willson and Bridget Julian are responsible for the Extension and VPE web landing pages respectively and Joanne Littlefield keeps an ever expanding portfolio of photos. We all need to take up the Diversity Catalyst Team’s challenge and highlight our commitment to diverse programing and to developing a diverse staff that reflects the folks we are currently working with and with whom we want to work with but are not yet doing so. If you have photos that you would like to post, please do so.

If you are not taking the time to review ‘Widen the Circle Wednesdays’ I would highly suggest taking some time to do so. Big thanks to Robert Franklin and the DCT for their effort on diversity.

Peaks and Plains Regional Meeting

Make sure you have registered for the Peaks and Plains Regional Meeting for 2014. Please click on this link to complete the online registration for the meeting. If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, please let me know. See you all there! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/
1mN_FzsTvKrf4iFR_xVVTDLsDUpRbTne5BkmfIrMhcVI/viewform

Agent Guidelines: Sudden or Unexplained Death in a Livestock Herd

Click here for our livestock emergency checklist for agents. Please share as you see fit with other Extension agents, FFA instructors, vets, etc. This is meant to be a working document.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV)

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) has caused significant challenges to the swine industry. The latest specific information on PEDV can be found at http://www.pork.org/Research/4316/PEDVResources.aspx#.U1qHXoFdW7F or pork.org website. Further information will be shared at the regional meeting.

Reporting: CPRS

To all 4-H and CMG agents do not enter into CPRS the number of 4-H or CMG volunteers or number of 4-H or CMG volunteer hours. We will capture that data from ES-237 and VMS as agreed by PLT. If some of these numbers have been entered, please remove them from the reporting system. This is only for 4-H and CMG’s. All other volunteers should be reported, number of volunteers and number of hours on any output into the CPRS system.

Open Positions in the Peaks and Plains Region

  • Regional Extension Specialist (Agriculture and Business Management) located in Washington County in Akron, CO or Logan County in Sterling, CO. Position closes May 9.
  • Area Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development & Range/Livestock Management, Baca County Unit Leader, Southeast Area located in Baca County in Springfield, CO. Interviews are scheduled for May 7-8.
  • Extension Director and Agent (4-H Youth Development, 50% Time Position) located in Huerfano County in Walsenburg, CO. Interviews were held on April 21-22.

I would like to thank everyone for completing their performance reviews, reporting on a timely manner for 2014 and some of the great programming that is taking place. I hope everyone takes advantage of the program opportunities available this late spring and early summer. And, I hope everyone gets out and enjoys some of the spring time ambience.

Specialists' Introductions

Samuel Essah

Meet CSU Extension Specialist
Samuel Essah

Title: Assistant Professor
College: Agricultural Sciences
Department: Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
% Extension Time: 50%
Years with CSU: 10
Extension/Outreach Involvement: Best potato management practices for maximum yield and environmental conservation
Research Area: Potato Management and Whole Plant Physiology
Teaching Responsibilities: Extension education of potato growers & potato industry personnel
Hobbies/Interests: Soccer, Gardening, Reading
Contact Information: 0249 East Road 9 N, Center, CO 81125-9643, 719-754-3594 Ext 13 samuel.essah@colostate.edu

 

Karen Barrett

Meet CSU Extension Specialist
Karen Barrett

Title: Professor
College: Health and Human Sciences
Department: Human Development and Family Studies
% Extension Time: 22% (9 month appointment)
Years with CSU: 24
Extension/Outreach Involvement: Past HDFS/extension coordinator; current PI on CSU subcontract of CYTTAP (Child & Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project) providing training & technical assistance for Child Care staff in counties with large populations of military families (last year of project)
Research Area: My current research focuses on emotion regulation and "social emotions during early development, and on cultural and other socialization influences on these processes, including (1) The effect of early intervention on early socioemotional competence and school readiness and on prevention of emotion regulation difficulties; (2) how emotion regulatory and self-regulatory processes develop during early childhood, in typical, atypical, and at-risk populations; and (3) how social emotions develop during early childhood, and how socialization and cultural beliefs impact this development.
Teaching Responsibilities: Childhood Socialization, Applied Research Methods, Socioemotional Development
Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, running, travel, art, music, theater
Contact Information: 311 Behavioral Sciences, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1570, 970-491-7382 karen.barrett@colostate.edu

Updated