IANR Advisory Group on Equity, Access, and Belongingness

The IANR Leadership Team has organized a group of faculty, students, and staff to advise them on efforts to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment within IANR.

The group will be charged to:

  • Help us (those in IANR) tell our story about why diversity is important. (Why does diversity and inclusion matter to agriculture and to IANR?)
  • Explore the impact of policies, procedures, and practices on access to education and employment (e.g., recruitment, retention, curriculum, programming, scheduling, hiring, evaluation, promotion) and on our ability to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone’s contributions are sought after, encouraged, and valued.
  • Ensure that our conversations continue about systemic racism and other forms of inequity and discrimination, that these conversations are inclusive of all forms of human diversity, and that they lead to action resulting in greater equity and inclusion.
  • Provide feedback on the strategic direction of IANR leading to greater inclusive excellence and the actions being taken in this regard by members of the Vice Chancellor’s senior leadership team.

Group Members

Simanti Banerjee

Simanti Banerjee

Associate Professor
Agricultural Economics

Jackie Guzman

Jackie Guzman

Extension Educator
Zone 1

Holly Hatton-Bowers

Holly Hatton-Bowers

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Child Youth and Family Studies

Angi Heller

Angi Heller

Extension Zone Coordinator
Zone 8

Lisa Karr

Lisa Karr

Professor
Animal Science

Martha Mamo

Martha Mamo

Department Head
Agronomy & Horticulture

Santosh Pitla

Santosh Pitla

Associate Professor
Biological Systems Engineering

Bobby Skates

Bobby Skates

Manager
West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center

Ashley Stengel

Ashley Stengel

Graduate Student
Complex Biosystems

Ana Maria Velez

Ana Maria Velez

Assistant Professor
Department of Entomology

Rachel Sparks

Rachel Sparks

Post-Doc Research Associate
School of Natural Resources

If you have any questions about the advisory group please reach out to Rich Bischoff rbischoff2@unl.edu.