A well-prepared professional workforce is key to the success of any Extension program, but personnel in urban areas require specialized support to deliver on the mission of the land-grant university while working at the interface of community and academia. Since its inception the WCMER has worked to advance the development of urban Extension professionals through a series of papers, workshops, webinars, and a systematic progression of fellowships exploring the ecosystem of urban Extension professional development at the local, institutional and system level.
This collective body of work can serve as a roadmap for addressing practices, policies, and trainings to support the urban Extension professional. We invite you to view the full list of WCMER publications here.
The Urban Landscape
The needs of urban Extension professionals are rooted in the unique challenges they face in complex, diverse and multi-jurisdictional metropolitan environments.
- Fox, J. and Peterson, D.J. 2017. Discovering what makes urban Extension unique within the interdependent urban-rural continuum: Editors’ introduction to the urban Extension-theme issue of JHSE. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 5(2): 1-5. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/vol5/iss2/2/
- Ruemenapp, M.A. 2017. America’s changing urban landscape: positioning Extension for success. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 5(2): 6-21. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/vol5/iss2/3/
Urban Extension offices have a lower staffing ration relative to potential audiences compared to their rural colleagues. To have significant impact, this often requires a greater focus on policy, systems and environment change rather than direct service.
- Extension as Urban Policy Advisors Conference, February 2015 (agenda and presentations)
Transitioning away from long term programs to short term programs can provide greater flexibility to meet the emerging needs of urban stakeholders.
- Collins, R, and B. Gaolach. 2018. Hot shots, dream teams and setting a national model by reinventing Extension in urban areas. Journal of Extension. 56(5) Article 5IAW3. Special Issue on Innovation. https://archives.joe.org/joe/2018september/pdf/JOE_v56_5iw3.pdf
Professional Development Fellows

Alyssa Bowers, MS

Jeantyl Norze, Ph.D.

Ramona C. Madhosingh-Hector, MS

Jody Norman, MS

Dayna Emmons

Julie M Fox, Ph.D.
Professional Development Projects, Events & Papers

Urban Professional Development Summit

The 2019 National Urban Extension Conference
Archived Professional Development Workshops
Extension as Urban Policy Advisers
Seattle, WA – Feb 2015
- Learn about working at the policy, systems, and environment change interface.
- Understand how policy is made at the local, regional, and state levels.