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
Associate Professor
Agricultural Economics

Jackie Guzman
Extension Educator
Zone 1

Holly Hatton-Bowers
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Child Youth and Family Studies

Angi Heller
Extension Zone Coordinator
Zone 8

Lisa Karr
Professor
Animal Science

Martha Mamo
Department Head
Agronomy & Horticulture

Santosh Pitla
Associate Professor
Biological Systems Engineering

Bobby Skates
Manager
West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center

Ashley Stengel
Graduate Student
Complex Biosystems

Ana Maria Velez
Assistant Professor
Department of Entomology

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.