Joe Schaefer, Ph.D.

Title

• South District Extension Director

Biography

As a District Extension Director for UF/IFAS Florida Extension Service, Joe Schaefer works closely with the Dean and Associate Dean for Extension. His major assignment is to provide leadership to the county Extension offices in the South Florida District. This administrative district consists of about eighty county Extension faculty who put knowledge to work by developing, delivering, and evaluating Extension education programs for residents in Florida's twelve southeastern-most counties and the Seminole Tribe.

Joe was born in Virginia and has lived in Delaware, Maryland; Maine, Iowa; and Kansas before moving to Florida. He received a B.A. degree in Economics from Wheeling College and is a Vietnam veteran. He then received a B.S. degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Wildlife from Iowa State University.

Dr. Schaefer came to the University of Florida in 1987 as a faculty member in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. He was an extension specialist, conducted research, and taught classes for twelve years; served as director of the Center for Natural Resources and State Extension Natural Resources Program Leader for three years; and became the South Florida District Extension Director in 2002. Joe has also been actively involved in the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.

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