Land Grant Community and Economic Development Capacity in the Northeast
Overview
This study seeks to inventory the capacity for research and Extension programming in the Northeast U.S. region that corresponds with the priority areas of the NERCRD, which include:
- Economic Development, Resilience, and Innovation
- Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
- Food Systems, Nutrition Security, and Agriculture
This information was collected from each University’s Extension website by focusing on personnel in these program areas with either Faculty, Educator, or Extension Specialist appointments. These results are preliminary, and we will work with each University to verify the accuracy. Currently we have received updates and verification from seven universities in the region and we are working to verify the accuracy with the other one as well. One key purpose of this study is to identify potential partners for collaborative work within the Northeast Region.
Key findings
- Most of the Northeast’s capacity related to NERCRD priorities lies in the program areas of Community Health and Well Being, Natural Resources and Climate Studies, and Agricultural Economics and Business Management.
- A total of 386 people in the roles of Faculty, specialists and educators were identified working in program areas that currently align with NERCRD’s priorities
- Tourism and Agritourism currently have the smallest capacity in the region.
- The Northeast is working on many different program areas that have potential cross cutting impacts on Rural Development including Housing and Community Planning, Broadband Access, Digital Skills and Food System Resilience.
Program Area Totals
The table below shows total FTEs in six program areas for the region as a whole. For detailed data by state, see this Excel spreadsheet.
| Program Area | Faculty/Specialists | Educators | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community and Economic Development | 12 | 57 | 69 |
| Natural Resources, Forestry, Climate, Energy | 30 | 68 | 98 |
| Agritourism, Tourism | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| Ag Business Management, Ag Economics | 47 | 32 | 79 |
| Food Systems | 16 | 17 | 33 |
| Community Health and Well Being | 12 | 86 | 98 |
| Totals | 123 | 263 | 386 |
Authors: Stephen Alessi
Publication: NERCRD publication Date Published: March 30, 2025