Extension educator joins Stumpf Center

By Becky Uehling

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

For 37-year-old Samantha Daniel accepting the position of Water and Integrated Cropping System Extension Educator at Stumpf International Wheat Research Center in Grant is just like returning home. Daniel will serve Perkins, Chase and Dundy counties in her new position.

Although originally from Denver, Daniel moved to Nebraska in 2016 to pursue a Master’s Degree in entomology from the University of Nebrasks-Lincoln, and said she loves the state.

“Growing up in Denver I was near the prairie and the open spaces and I really enjoyed that,” she said. 

Daniel said she has always loved bugs and “creepy crawly things,” and after high school attended Denver Metropolitan State University graduating in Dec. 2009 with a biology degree. She then went to work in support staff positions for higher education institutions in the Denver area. It was a tip from one of the professors during that time period that led her to seek a degree in entomology from UNL and to start a relationship with Nebraska Extension. 

Upon completing her classroom work in Lincoln, Daniel moved to North Platte where she completed her field work. It was here she met her significant other, Steve Miller, who is a middle school teacher. The two live in North Platte. 

For the past ten months, Daniel has served as the Extension Educator at Michigan State University, which she completed at the end of April. 

Daniel said her first extension educator experience in Michigan was good, but she definitely missed Nebraska and is glad to be home. 

Daniel’s work in the three-county area will include help putting on field days, working with trials in cover crops, irrigation and wheat, along with working with area farmers and assisting with their individual needs. 

Daniel’s home base will be the Stumpf Center, but she does plan on eventually having set days in Chase and Dundy counties as well. This, however, is still being worked out. 

Getting the information out to the farmer and being a presence out in the field is Daniel’s main goal.

“I will be getting out and meeting growers, farmers, agri-business owners, crop consultants, and finding out how can I best serve the community as a whole,” she said. “I want to know what they need from me.”

 Daniel’s long term goals include providing educational extension programs on such topics as drought, pest management issues, along with extension programming. 

“I am very excited to be here. Extension was always my goal because of the people and community aspects of the job,” she said. “I like to take the information of science get it out to the people so they can use it.” 

Daniel encourages anyone with questions to call the extension offices in each county to get in touch with her.

 In Grant the number is  308-352-4340. In Chase County the number is 308- 882-4731 and in Dundy County the phone number is 308-423-2021. Daniel can also be reached by email at samantha.daniel@unl.edu or sdaniel3@unl.edu.

The position that Daniel is in has been vacant for two years with the departure of Strahinja Stepanovic.