LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (UK-CAFE) officials recently announced Laura Stephenson has been named dean and vice president for land-grant engagement, a role she assumed in mid-January.

Stephenson succeeds Nancy Cox, who retired in May 2024, and served as the college’s dean for more than a decade and UK’s first-ever vice president for land-grant engagement, said Eli Capilouto, UK president, and Robert DiPaola, UK provost, in a Dec. 3, 2024, media statement.

“This leadership position is a recognition of our aspiration to embed our founding mission into every aspect of what we do,” they said. “Stephenson knows Kentucky well, and has deep roots in our state and the college through her decades of work and leadership in cooperative extension.”

As the new UK-CAFE dean, Stephenson told Farm World, “I oversee our research, teaching and extension mission areas. UK-CAFE has maintained a solid commitment to fulfilling UK’s land-grant mission, while serving as an innovative and forward-thinking leader in agriculture, food and environmental systems at the state, national, and global levels.”

As the new vice president for land-grant engagement, she said, “I work to broaden the college’s tripartite (divided into or composed of three parts) mission across the University of Kentucky. We are committed to developing purposeful partnerships with colleges, units and UK HealthCare to work with Kentucky communities, and enhance our service to the state.

“Recent collaborations include connecting UK enrollment management with 4-H Youth Development to inspire future students; working with the College of Dentistry to distribute oral health information through cooperative extension; and partnering with the College of Pharmacy and the Institute for Rural Journalism to deliver community-based vaccine education.

“This interdisciplinary approach strengthens our ability to serve Kentucky, creating meaningful campus-wide initiatives that address critical needs,” she added.

Before being appointed UK-CAFE dean and vice president for land-grant engagement, Stephenson served as associate vice president for land-grant engagement, and associate dean and director of extension.

She has also served as a department chair, is the co-author of many journal articles and publications and is a leader on millions of dollars in grant awards around issues such as workforce training, nutrition, community building and health, Capilouto and DiPaola said.

“At UK, she led a substantial reorganization of cooperative extension to ensure more efficient delivery of services and communication,” they said. “She is recognized and admired across the state, region and country for her leadership role in extension and agriculture.”

Last October, the UK Board of Trustees directed Capilouto and the campus to focus intently on working with partners to do more to advance the overall health of the state. The Advancing Kentucky Together network, which is being formed, will work with partners to expand efforts to improve health, education and address workforce needs across the state.

A critical piece of that initiative is the role of UK cooperative extension in each of the state’s 120 counties, and its continued role in providing a range of support to partners and communities in farming, consumer and financial issues and, increasingly, health care partnerships, among other areas.

“Her appointments come at an inflection point (a time of significant change in a situation) for our university,” Capilouto and DiPaola said. “Our Board of Trustees has directed us to focus even more intently on how we can advance the overall health of our state, working with partners and communities across Kentucky.”

Stephenson holds a doctor of philosophy in gerontology (the study of aging and older adults) from the University of Kentucky; and a master of arts in vocational home economics education, and a bachelor of arts in home economics education, both from Eastern Kentucky University.

When asked how her educational and career backgrounds prepared her for these new positions, she said, “My academic focus has been on building capacity for strong food systems to ensure nutritious food access in communities. This focus has involved projects to strengthen farmers markets, producer-to-consumer education, nutrition education, community engagement and social marketing to reinforce local food systems.”

She said her commitment to UK-CAFE is deeply rooted in her personal and professional experiences.

“My father and three siblings are first-generation graduates of the college,” she said. “On our farm in a small community in south central Kentucky, our family benefited directly from the knowledge and innovations provided by the college’s research and extension faculty and agents.

“These experts were frequent guests on our farm where we discussed new ideas and engaged in test plots for research,” she added. “We actively participated in extension programs and 4-H projects, experiences that inspired me to become an extension agent. I realized that goal with a 22-year career as an extension agent in Clark County in Kentucky.”

She said her career in extension developed into administrative roles, starting as extension district director in southeast Kentucky, followed by state leadership for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension.

“In 2015, I accepted the roles of associate dean of extension and chair of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department at the University of Tennessee,” she said. “In 2019, I returned to the University of Kentucky as associate dean of extension to lead the statewide extension program.”

When asked what her goals are and vision is as vice president for land-grant engagement, and how it will coincide with her position as dean, she said, “Our college is focused on the university’s land-grant mission, which serves as the underlying philosophy of our work, and is the model for integrating our research, teaching and extension mission areas.

“With extension offices in all 120 counties, our networks serve as the gateway to interested community leaders and stakeholders,” she said. “My roles as dean and vice president are symbiotic, and benefit both the university and the Commonwealth.

“Our goal is to continue implementing strategies that strengthen these connections and incubate partnerships that will amplify the university’s impact on the Commonwealth,” she added.