Pinney, Anderson named as interim directors at UAF institute

Pete Pinney has been named interim director of the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, according to University of Alaska Fairbanks Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Anupma Prakash. Jodie Anderson will serve as interim associate director.
 
“Pete Pinney and Jodie Anderson are both experienced and respected members of IANRE who will provide stability in leadership and management as IANRE focuses on growing and rebuilding capacity,” Prakash said. 
 
Pinney is the current acting director. He is the principal administrative officer of UAF’s Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension Service, and Mining and Petroleum Training Service. 
 
 “IANRE is at the center of research and community engagement, a trusted source for practical application of knowledge in the area of food systems, healthy homes, families and workforce development,” Pinney said. “I’m honored to be part of a team whose goal is to improve the lives of all Alaskans.”

Anderson is director of the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center in Palmer. The center serves as a research farm with Extension services in Southcentral Alaska. The farm has 260 acres of cultivated land and 800 acres of forestland for research or demonstration purposes, including laboratory facilities for research on soils, plants and livestock. In addition, as part of the community Extension work, the center maintains barns, feed storage facilities and pastureland that produce and harvest grain, forage (hay and haylage) and other crops. The facility also offers education on soils, plants and livestock. 
 
“I am very excited for the opportunities we have to lead with our relevant work as a unit, to connect our areas of expertise with research happening both inside the university system and throughout the state of Alaska,” Anderson said.