PURPOSE OF POSITION: To provide strong statewide leadership in delivering pesticide safety education programming and work closely with South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to certify commercial and private pesticide applicators. The incumbent will be responsible for creating and updating commercial and private certification exams, training staff at regional centers and county offices that proctor the certification exams, maintaining testing resources for proctors and ensuring exam security, creating and maintaining content for online recertification courses and face-to-face meetings, and developing resources (e.g., articles, press releases, fact sheets, and other publications) for commercial and private applicators. The incumbent will provide pesticide safety programming to the public, including but not limited to, Master Gardeners. They will participate in AAPSE (American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators) and other regional and national education stakeholder groups and professional societies. This position is supervised by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Leader and is affiliated with the Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Department. Collaboration on extension projects with Extension faculty as well as other research and extension centers across South Dakota is encouraged. Graduate student training is available for the qualified incumbent.
SDSU Extension - SDSU Extension is one mode of outreach utilized by South Dakota State University. It brings educational programs and research-based information to the citizens of South Dakota. The mission of SDSU Extension is "Growing South Dakota". It works with academic departments and the Agricultural Experiment Station to provide unbiased, science-based knowledge focused on issues and needs. Extension has five capstone program areas: Competitive Crops Systems; Competitive Livestock Systems; Youth and Community Leadership; Food and Families; and Urban/Rural Initiatives which are part of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the College of Education and Human Sciences.