Lincoln, Neb. —Dr. Jeff Bradshaw has been selected to serve as the interim director of the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. He will begin his new role on July 1.
Bradshaw is an associate professor of entomology and an extension specialist in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He joined the Panhandle center in 2010 and since then has worked extensively with the area’s wheat, dry bean, and sugarbeet growers. He has conducted research the areas of insect ecology, host plant resistance, biological control and integrated pest management, and has served as an advisor or mentor to many graduate students.
Bradshaw also serves as the president of the plant-insect ecosystems section of the Entomological Society of America. He received his doctoral degree in entomology and plant pathology from Iowa State University in 2007.
“Over the past decade, Dr. Bradshaw has demonstrated a deep commitment to IANR’s joint missions of research, teaching and extension with a passion for Western Nebraska and the importance of crop and livestock production and water management in the Panhandle,” said Mike Boehm, vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL and vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the University of Nebraska. “He is a master collaborator, a creative problem solver, and a strong leader. I am confident the Panhandle Research and Extension Center will continue to thrive under his leadership.”
Bradshaw was selected for the position after center director Jack Whittier announced his retirement earlier this year. Whittier’s last day as director is June 30. On July 1, Whittier will return full-time to the faculty of UNL’s Department of Animal Science and will work to orient the newest member of UNL’s integrated beef systems team, Dr. Pablo Loza. Whittier will also focus on strengthening UNL’s efforts related to beef production, rangeland and grassland management until he retires on Aug. 31.
Dr. Mitchell Stephenson, assistant professor in rangeland ecology and management, will serve as the center’s interim associate director.
“The Panhandle Research and Extension Center has an exceptional team of faculty, staff, and students, and I am excited to work with them in this new role, while maintaining an active research and extension program in entomology,” Bradshaw said.