Brooke McWherter began June 1 as a research assistant professor and natural resource social scientist in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.
McWherter is working on a program called Thriving Future Cropscapes with Andrea Basche, an associate professor of agronomy and horticulture. This project combines cropping system modeling with key expert interviews and focus groups to explore how to model future cropping systems given changing environmental conditions, how producers and experts envision these systems in the future, and what they want the future cropscapes to look like.
“I’ve come to Nebraska to work alongside Andrea and several amazing teams looking at exploring the future of cropping systems in the central and southern U.S., evaluating cover crop education programs, and following a women-led peer-cohort learning circle and their network development,” McWherter said.
Originally from Missouri, McWherter became interested in the human dimensions of natural resources research following her time in the Peace Corps. There, she learned the importance of considering social dimensions, including culture and context, when developing programs and policies for rural areas.
“My research with human dimensions has allowed me to work on several topics including watershed conservation, farming production systems, rangeland management and producer-wildlife conflict,” she said.
McWherter has a Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology from Missouri State University, a Master of Science in conservation ecology and environmental justice from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in natural resource social sciences from Purdue University.
Before coming to Nebraska, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where she researched systems thinking and program support for regenerative grazing practices.
McWherter said she likes the community of people and the bike trails in Lincoln.
Her favorite pastime is crafts. McWherter likes to crochet and sculpt animals for friends and fundraisers. So far, those have included axolotls, octopi, squids, hellbenders and a walleye.
