John Shutske, who serves in the dual role of associate dean for the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and program director for Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension in UW Cooperative Extension, has announced he will step down on July 1 and return to his faculty position in the UW-Madison Department of Biological Systems Engineering. 

John Shutske has served as in the dual role of associate dean for the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and program director for Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension in UW Cooperative Extension since July 2008.

Shutske has served in this role since July 2008, helping to direct and coordinate the efforts of county-based Cooperative Extension agents in all 72 Wisconsin counties and university-based Cooperative Extension specialists on the UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls campuses. Over the past eight years, Shutske has hired a number of new faculty and staff and helped orient them to their Extension roles. He also established a consultative group of faculty and staff from the three UW campuses he oversees to help set joint priorities and create a shared vision for sustained excellence.

CALS Dean Kate VandenBosch notes, “John has worked collaboratively with university leaders, local communities, Wisconsin commodity groups, industry stakeholders and elected officials at all levels to address issues critical to Wisconsin’s agricultural economy and natural resource base. I have appreciated the opportunity to work with him. His leadership will be missed.” 

UW-Extension Cooperative Extension Dean and Director Richard Klemme says, “John has been a great innovator in his role as associate dean and program director, providing strong leadership for our co-investment of extension and research/teaching resources in CALS faculty and staff. I have especially appreciated his role in working to infuse technology into the work of Extension.”

In his faculty role, Shutske will be continuing research and Extension programming on methods to apply new technologies, including sensors, robotics and wireless communications, to reduce injuries and other negative health outcomes for people and the environment, while simultaneously pursuing enhanced profitability. As a faculty affiliate in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s Department of Family Medicine, he will be building partnerships with federally funded Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention in Marshfield and the region in Minnesota and Iowa. 

Source: UW-Madison CALS