Chapter 95 - Extension Entomology

Abstract

This chapter discusses the organization of the Cooperative Extension Service at national, international, state, regional, and county levels. Cooperative extension is a land-grant university's face to the state's citizenry, just as teaching faculty is the university's face to students. By linking the university to the public, extension entomologists translate research results into practical applications and convey them to end users, while simultaneously apprising university researchers of real-world needs. The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 created the Cooperative Extension Service in the United States. The Cooperative Extension Service is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the land-grant institutions, and the 1890 institutions. At the national level, the Cooperative Extension Service is an integral part of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). CSREES serves as a critical connection between research and extension. Frequently, extension outreach in third-world nations is funded by agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. Organizational structure of the Cooperative Extension Services varies greatly in size from state to state. Leadership of Cooperative Extension Services within each state is the responsibility of the dean and/or director of the agricultural college of the land-grant university and/or 1890 institution within each state. The interface between extension entomologists on the state and county staff tends to follow a similar model in the majority of states. County-level extension entomologists usually are termed agents, advisors, or educators. Additionally, entomology positions fall under either Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) or 4-H and Youth programmatic areas.