July 26, 2016
Lincoln, Neb. — Kelly Bruns has been appointed as the next Research and Extension Director for the West Central Research and Extension Center. Bruns has served as interim director since November 2015. In addition, Bruns will also serve as the director of the West Central Extension District within Nebraska Extension.
“Kelly brings great insight and enthusiasm to the role and has demonstrated his commitment to excellence in his service as interim research and extension director,” said Chuck Hibberd, dean and director of Nebraska Extension.
Since 1904, the West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte has addressed problems and concerns specific to the counties of West Central Nebraska. West Central consists of approximately 1,800 acres of which 1,100 are in pasture and the remaining in dryland and irrigated cropping systems. The Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, a 12,800-acre working ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills, is also part of West Central, as is the West Central Water Resources Laboratory near Brule, which consists of 1,280 acres of irrigated and dryland cropping systems. The center also oversees the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center in Grant, which is a 640-acre facility dedicated to researching cropping systems in the region. This size and diversity offers many opportunities in integrated systems research and extension programming.
“I am fortunate to work with an exceptional set of specialists, educators and staff who work diligently, solving problems for producers in the region and across the state, and I am looking forward to this opportunity,” said Bruns.
Bruns will formally begin the appointment on August 1, 2016.