Iowa State named John Lawrence its new vice president of Extension and Outreach on Monday.

Lawrence was one of four finalists for the position. He has been serving as the interim vice president of Extension and Outreach since March 2017. Lawrence’s new position will begin immediately.

Lawrence holds both a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in economics from Iowa State. He also has a doctorate in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri.

He has been at Iowa State since 1991, when Lawrence began as as associate professor in economics, serving as an extension livestock economist.

Lawrence served as the director of the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State from 1998 until 2010.

In 2010, Lawrence became an associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of extension and outreach in the college.

“[Lawrence] has a long history of scholarship and administrative service and is uniquely qualified to lead ISU Extension and Outreach,” said President Wendy Wintersteen.

Lawrence has also worked as the assistant director of the Agriculture Experiment Station and has worked with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center.

In 2009, Lawrence was named by Iowa Farmer Today as one of the 25 most influential people in Iowa agriculture over the last 25 years.

“I feel confident he will work to strengthen important extension programs and partnerships and enhance the connections of our faculty, staff and students to Iowa communities,” Wintersteen said.

Iowa State Extension and Outreach is a “community-based education unit serving the state of Iowa,” according to its website. It has 100 county extension offices and is focused on connecting the needs of Iowans with Iowa State research and resources.

Each of the finalists for the vice president position visited Iowa State to hold open forums with the community. In Lawrence’s open forum on Feb. 28, he touched on a number of topics, from working with surrounding counties to supporting employees who wish to further their education while working at Iowa State.

The other three finalists were Brent Hales, Jane Clary Loveless and Daniel Devlin.

“I am honored to serve my colleagues, the university and the entire state of Iowa as the leader of Extension and Outreach,” Lawrence said. “I look forward to working with our talented faculty, staff and partners to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Iowans.”