Professionalism/Outreach
Prepare for Your Future: Career Opportunities After Graduate School: Part 2 - Extension

Starting an extension specialist career from the ground up
L. J. DU TOIT (1)
(1) Washington State University, Mount Vernon, WA, U.S.A.
Phytopathology 100:S169

You recently completed your PhD degree in plant pathology and successfully applied for a position as an extension specialist in plant pathology at a land grant university – your dream job. However, you have not previously worked with the crops for which you’ve been assigned responsibility. How do you begin to establish a successful career as an extension specialist? How do you determine areas of research on which to focus your program? Who are your stakeholders? How do you effectively connect with (sometimes very diverse) stakeholders? How do you set up productive collaboration with the research community, county extension educators, growers, and private industry? What sources of funding are available to support your research and extension program? How do you resolve or mitigate conflicts of interest among competing stakeholders and collaborators? What steps can you take to ensure objectivity when dealing with politically sensitive issues? How can you successfully adapt your program as new (and sometimes urgent) disease problems develop? How do you seek constructive mentoring and professional development opportunities to ensure continued growth professionally and personally? This presentation will use specific examples to illustrate some of the skills, resources, attitudes, and methods that contribute to building a successful career as an extension specialist in plant pathology.