Greene County had a visit from a president of a four-year institution on Monday.

Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen, along with the new Vice President of Extension Dr. Jason Henderson talked to a group of about 40 individuals at the Greene County ISU Extension Office in Jefferson. Wintersteen shared that over the last two years, ISU’s enrollment has increased by 13 percent and that last year ISU staff earned over $300 million in research grants and contracts. She also talked about being named the entrepreneurial university of the year for the Americas.

Wintersteen pointed out that getting that kind of recognition was due to the university always being innovative and entrepreneurial, which also includes their undergraduates.

“We really said that undergraduates should have the opportunity to use their creativity and become innovators and entrepreneurs just like our faculty, and staff, and graduate students, and that’s made a difference for our undergraduates.”  

Dr. Henderson echoes that sentiment as also being roles with the Extension program.

“And our charge is to work with people in all of our communities, every zip code across the state, helping them take the great technologies that come out of our universities and figure out which of those are worthy of adoption on their part, or in their families, or in their business, and those that just aren’t the right fit.” 

The audience was allowed to share their thoughts about how Extension is important to Greene County, including the collective agreement by the Greene County Extension Council members who were in attendance that stressed the importance of the 4-H and youth programs being vital to giving kids opportunities that they might not otherwise have.