UK announces leadership positions in extension and land-grant engagement
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2024) — Two University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) faculty members with a long history of leadership will assume acting positions for UK Cooperative Extension Service and UK Land-grant Engagement. This follows the recent Martin-Gatton CAFE dean appointment of Laura Stephenson, who currently holds both roles at Martin-Gatton CAFE.
Craig Wood, Ph.D., will serve as acting associate dean and director of the UK Cooperative Extension Service beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. Wood has served as assistant director of the agriculture and natural resources (ANR) program since 2018.
Jennifer Hunter, Ph.D., will serve as acting associate vice president of UK Land-grant Engagement also beginning on Jan. 1. Hunter has served as assistant director of the family and consumer sciences (FCS) program since 2018 and as director of the School of Human and Environmental Sciences since 2021.
“Ensuring that Extension continues to flourish as we conduct a search for the next associate dean and director and associate vice-president is paramount,” Stephenson said. “Craig and Jennifer are innovative, thoughtful leaders. I know they will serve extension and the university well during this transition.”
About Craig Wood
Craig H. Wood is a distinguished leader in the field of agriculture and natural resources. Serving as the assistant director of extension for Agriculture and Natural Resources at Martin-Gatton CAFE, Wood provides visionary leadership for ANR and horticulture agents, associates, extension specialists and programs. His responsibilities include program development, implementation and fostering internal and external collaborations, particularly with Kentucky’s 1862 and 1890 Land-grant partnerships.
Wood has received numerous accolades, including the Equine Science Society Distinguished Service Award (2021), Equine Science Society Fellow Award (2019), the American Paint Horse Association Hall of Fame (2023) and the USDA Secretary’s Honor Award (2008). His contributions to distance education and extension programs have been widely recognized. Wood has authored numerous publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings and extension publications. He has also developed various online courses, instructional materials and multimedia resources, significantly contributing to the field of agricultural education.
Wood has an extensive background in supporting faculty, both in Kentucky and across the country, in developing and delivering extension, research and instructional material using various mediums and technologies. He has served on the board of directors and in officer roles for the Equine Science Society and the American Paint Horse Association. His leadership and expertise have made a lasting impact on the agricultural community.
Wood has secured more than $13 million in grants and contracts. Examples in extramural funding include USDA New Technologies for Agriculture Extension, USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant.
About Jennifer Hunter
A native Kentuckian and Martin-Gatton CAFE alum, Hunter began her career with the University of Kentucky in 2001. She holds dual administrative appointments as director of the School of Human Environmental Sciences and assistant extension director for Family and Consumer Sciences. Hunter’s extensive experience includes roles as county extension agent, extension specialist, professor, unit head and academic unit leader.
Hunter’s programming is distinguished by her contributions to translational research, applied scholarship and community-focused solutions. As a visioning partner on the 2022 UK Engage Initiative Visioning Committee, she has prioritized advancing land-grant engagement within Martin-Gatton CAFE and the University of Kentucky. Her expertise in both traditional agricultural disciplines and human environmental sciences enables her to lead effective transdisciplinary teams.
Hunter has advanced the university’s public engagement mission through pivotal partnerships, fostering engaged scholarship and addressing critical community issues. Over her career, she has secured over $75 million in external grants and contracts, delivered over 850 extension educational programs and authored over 160 print and electronic publications, demonstrating her commitment to impactful community engagement and scholarship.
To learn more about Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit ca.uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.