{"id":8017,"date":"2024-12-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholesumky.org\/?p=8017"},"modified":"2025-05-28T08:54:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T12:54:02","slug":"sustainability-in-focus-leadership-perspectives-from-nancy-cox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholesumky.org\/?p=8017","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability in Focus: Leadership perspectives from Nancy Cox"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sustainability in Focus: Leadership Perspectives <\/em><\/strong>is a new mini-series that spotlights the remarkable faculty and staff leaders driving sustainability across our campus and showcases their innovative perspectives. These dedicated individuals are committed to fostering a culture of environmental responsibility within our university community. This is the second post in the series, and we are excited to share the perspective and insights of Nancy Cox, Vice President of Land-Grant Engagement and Dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, as we explore the vital role of leadership in advancing sustainability at the University of Kentucky.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nancy Cox is the University of Kentucky’s outgoing Vice President of Land-Grant Engagement<\/a> and outgoing Dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment<\/a> (CAFE). She has been the Dean of the college since 2014, and was appointed by UK President Eli Capilouto to join his leadership team as the VP of Land-Grant Engagement in August 2020. Prior to these roles, Dr. Cox served UK as an associate dean for research and director of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. In this article, Dr. Cox shares her insights into the University of Kentucky’s commitment to its people as a land-grant institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Land-grant institutions and universities represent the country’s historical commitment to making higher education more accessible by providing federal support to create or expand state-run colleges and universities. Land-grant systems and universities have been in effect since the Morrill Act of 1862 was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln, with initiatives related to research, extension, and engagement at the forefront of land-grant institutions’ responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does being a land-grant institution mean for the University of Kentucky?<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

To Dr. Cox, being a land-grant institution means that UK must be driven by giving back to and serving the people of Kentucky. She explained that one of the University of Kentucky’s earliest experiences engaging with the land-grant system was by helping framers grow crops, which eventually led to the development of the Kentucky Agriculture Experiment Station<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scovell Hall Experiment Station c. 1900<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Kentucky Agriculture Experiment Station (KAES) is an experimental research station based at the University of Kentucky that focuses on agricultural science and innovation. It conducts research to improve crops, manage diseases in plants and animals, and enhance soil quality. The station also plays a key role in regulating agricultural products like fertilizers, livestock feed, and seeds. Over time, it has expanded its research to include areas like food processing, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. The KAES includes several research farms across Kentucky and partners with external organizations to provide expertise and support to farmers statewide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Old seed laboratory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Insectary 11\/2\/1908<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vivarium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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 In the end, we have been, and always will be, driven to serve our citizens and provide care to our communities.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As the University of Kentucky has grown and evolved, so too has our societal impact, particularly by working to make Kentuckians as healthy as can be – whether through nutrition, physical activity, financial literacy, or other means. One KAES project, “From rags to bags: Upcycling research tackles textile and food waste<\/a>“, is addressing food and textile waste by upcycling fabric into grocery bags. These reusable bags are then filled with recovered food to deliver meals to local low-income senior citizens, drawing a clear connection between environmental sustainability and community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Cox also highlighted Land-Grant Engagement<\/a>‘s partnership with UK HealthCare<\/a> as a key collaboration to achieve the goal President Capilouto and the Board of Trustees set for us in October of this year: to be the university that works with partners to do more for the health of our state than any other institution in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a big mission, one we can trace from early years of agriculture practices all the way to today – helping communities gain access to the best information for success.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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How do you think incorporating sustainability into the Land-Grant Engagement Program can reinforce UK\u2019s commitment to the people of Kentucky?<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Cox noted that incorporating sustainability into the land-grant system has always been rooted in ensuring that farming and food systems remain sustainable and viable for future generations. “These efforts,” Dr. Cox explained, “follow our overall commitment to sustainability and our people.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kentucky Invasive Plant Conference<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

UK’s Cooperative Extension Service<\/a>, a part of CAFE, is committed to connecting Kentuckians to accessible resources, research, and innovative solutions in the pursuit of a high quality of life. This year, the Kentucky Invasive Plant Conference<\/a>, led by the UK Department of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/a>, Kentucky State University<\/a>, and the Kentucky invasive Plant Council<\/a>, brought together experts and landowners to discuss new and exciting approaches for confronting the invasive plants challenging Kentucky’s agriculture and forest health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distilling Waste to Renewable Energy<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Cox brought to attention one exciting and innovative sustainability initiative coming out of CAFE: the reuse of distilling waste from the process of bourbon making. Students now have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the distilling process at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits<\/a>. After bourbon has reached its final stage, there remains a by-product called “spent grains”. The university is now exploring sustainable ways to reuse this by-product<\/a>. Not only would the findings benefit UK, but also the dozens of other distilleries within the state of Kentucky. While bigger companies may have the resources to dry the grain waste, the challenge lies in helping the smaller companies and distilleries to reuse the waste and make a new product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is our mission to do the research, the background, and to make informed decisions to educate the people on the safest practices for our local community. Most importantly, science is our friend!”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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Thinking about the history of the land-grant system, are there opportunities to acknowledge the past in a way that enriches moving forward?<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

While it’s indisputable that land-grant institutions have brought countless benefits and opportunities to the states they serve, it’s important to confront their origins. The Morrill Act redistributed indigenous land for public college endowments, displacing nearly 250 indigenous tribal nations<\/a>. It is critical that as we move forward as an institution, we understand the significance of our land, work, and resources in the context of the past – not dwelling in it, but by creating meaningful ways to honor it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In my opinion, UK has always been on the cutting edge of [acknowledging the past to enrich the future], and we are always willing to learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Nancy shared her personal perspective: \u201cI am not speaking for the university, but I certainly recognize that land means a lot. As a landowner, and someone who grew up on a farm, I know the importance of it. The land we rest on used to belong to the Native Americans. We cannot go back in time and change anything, but we do have a duty to honor that connection.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As UK looks to the future, we can honor the past by fostering a deeper connection to our values of stewardship, community, and learning. By embracing these responsibilities, we can ensure that the benefits our institution bestows upon the state because of its status as a land-grant university continues to grow, grounded in a respect for our history and our commitment to the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thank you, Nancy, for taking the time to speak with the Office of Sustainability about UK’s commitment to its people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sustainability in Focus: Leadership Perspectives is a new mini-series that spotlights the remarkable faculty and staff leaders driving sustainability across our campus and showcases their innovative perspectives. These dedicated individuals are committed to fostering a culture of environmental responsibility within our university community. This is the second post in the series, and we are excited […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":8029,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t