Jeff Dwyer, PhD
Jeff Dwyer was director of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension from 2016 - February 2021. He added the title of senior associate dean of outreach and engagement of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources to his responsibilities in 2017.
A sociologist by training, Dwyer focused his energies on finding new ways to bring transformational education to Extension’s traditional audiences while expanding the organization’s reach to new audiences. MSU Extension’s roughly 600 faculty and staff members follow this philosophy in the hopes of making Michigan a better place to grow a business, raise a family, operate a farm or thrive as a community.
Previously, Dwyer was the senior associate dean for research and community engagement in MSU’s College of Human Medicine. There, he honed his skills in facilitating multi-site collaboration, establishing university-wide linkages and building the infrastructure needed to sustain a statewide research network. He continues those practices in his role with MSU Extension where he has challenged the organization to act quickly to help Michigan residents get in front of emerging issues, such as the Flint water crisis, the increase of suicide rates in the agriculture community, the opioid epidemic and the effects of contaminated drinking water.
Dwyer has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California Lutheran University and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Florida.
Related Work
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A Message from Leadership - Sept. 2020
Published on September 17, 2020
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Jeff Dwyer - June 23, 2020, testimony
Published on June 23, 2020
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Research and outreach go hand-in-hand at MSU
Published on February 3, 2020
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Pressure on the farm
Published on February 1, 2020
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2018-19 Letter from Leadership
Published on September 30, 2019
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MSU hosts joint meeting of house, senate agriculture committees
Published on August 13, 2019
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Joint Michigan House and Senate Agriculture Committee Testimony - Aug. 13, 2019
Published on August 13, 2019
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MSU Extension director tours the revitalized Downtown Saginaw Farmers' Market
Published on August 2, 2019
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MSU Extension works in communities and with farmers to support mental health
Published on May 20, 2019