The Extension work of any land-grant college is a significant responsibility, and it’s evolving every year. Colorado State University announced recently that Blake Naughton has been brought in as vice president for engagement and Extension, and he will take the reins of the renamed Office of Engagement and Extension Dec. 1.

According to the statement announcing his hiring, Naughton will advance CSU’s engagement and outreach missions and oversee CSU Extension, CSU Online, the Colorado Water Center and the Office of Community and Economic Development.

Naughton was most recently associate vice chancellor for Extension and engagement at the University of Missouri. In that role he provided day-to-day leadership for Extension, and continuing education programming for agriculture, youth, the economy and health.

CSU President Joyce McConnell noted that the university is committed to serving the state by providing research-based solutions to help Coloradans face complex challenges. “Because of this commitment, we are thrilled to welcome Blake to our team. He is a recognized leader in developing partnerships, improving education and leading the renewal of educational institutions, and he will help us strategically transform how CSU serves Colorado communities,” she says.

Naughton will work with the CSU leadership team including Ashley Stokes, who will serve as associate vice president for engagement and Extension and will provide day-to-day leadership of CSU Extension. Stokes joined CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2015 as the associate dean of veterinary admissions and student services.

CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension has more than 400 employees across all eight CSU colleges and works closely with the office of the Vice President for Research.

More about Naughton

Naughton grew up in Missouri and worked as a policy researcher for Congress, the state of Missouri and a national center focused on higher education. He led educational programs and engagement services on the faculty of Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Pennsylvania before joining the College of Education at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in technology policy from Stanford University; a master’s degree in education administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University; and a doctorate in education administration and policy analysis, also from Stanford. Building on his expertise in educational organizations, policy, youth and workforce development, Naughton will also join the faculty of the CSU College of Health and Human Sciences as a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

With a mission to provide educational information and programs that safeguard health, increase livelihood, and enhance well-being, the Colorado State University Extension Service serves all of Colorado’s 64 counties. In 1914, Congress authorized land-grant universities in every state to feed research-based information to Extension agents in each county.

Colorado State University Online, formally named the Division of Continuing Education, has been delivering online and distance programs developed at the flagship research campus in Fort Collins, Colo., for more than 50 years. CSU Online serves more than 10,000 students, with 3,500 students seeking online degrees or certificates.

The Colorado Water Center is one of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes created by the Water Resources Act of 1964, which collectively form the National Institutes for Water Resources. As a division under CSU’s Office of Engagement, the center aims to connect all water expertise in Colorado’s higher education system with the research and education needs of Colorado’s water managers and users, building on the rich water history at CSU.

Source: Colorado State University. The source is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.