AMES, Iowa – Brian Dougherty has joined Iowa State University Extension and Outreach as an agricultural engineering specialist.
Dougherty, who holds a Master’s degree in agricultural and biosystems engineering from Iowa State, will work with farmers and producers in the northeast portion of the state.
“I am excited to return to northeast Iowa and I look forward to helping producers with the many engineering and environmental challenges they face on their farming operations,” Dougherty said. “ISU Extension and Outreach staff were a tremendous resource for me when I was farming, and I hope to carry that tradition forward and be a resource for others.”
Dougherty joins a team of five agricultural engineering specialists who provide science-based information to conserve land, air and water resources; promote efficient livestock and poultry systems that incorporate a high degree of animal well-being; illustrate the latest techniques in precision agriculture; keep Iowans safe; teach responsible manure management and improve water quality in the state.
“Brian’s experience as a dairy producer is extremely relevant to the environmental issues that are pertinent in northeast Iowa,” said Jay Harmon, interim director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension at Iowa State University. “Brian will be a tremendous asset to ISU Extension and Outreach and will be a valuable resource for the producers and communities he serves.”
Before joining the ISU Extension and Outreach staff, Dougherty spent 18 months as a graduate research assistant at Iowa State, investigating the effects of cropping management practices on soil health and nutrient losses to subsurface drainage water. He was chosen as a Nuffield International Farming Scholar, traveling internationally to study soil health, nutrient management and regenerative agricultural practices worldwide.
He also spent time as a research assistant in Oregon State’s Department of Crop and Soil Science while receiving his bachelor’s degree in ecological engineering.
In addition to his academic experience, Dougherty spent 17 years working as the co-owner of Dougherty Family Farms in Waukon, Iowa.