Dr. Eric Norland is the National Science Liaison for NIFA’s Environment and Natural Resources Science portfolio. He is responsible for representing NIFA on interagency working groups, creating partnerships, and working with stakeholders on environmental systems, forests, water, air, and rangelands and grasslands. Dr. Norland focuses on the sustainable management of the Nation’s working lands (agricultural, range, and forest lands) to support food, forest, and fiber products that provide important economic contributions to rural economies. Dr. Norland is the NIFA Representative on the Hypoxia Task Force and the USDA Agroforestry Interagency Team that supports the USDA Agroforestry Senior Executive Committee. He is the NIFA Liaison to the North Central Region Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Leaders, Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals, the National Association of University Forest Resource Programs, and several NIFA Hatch Act-funded Multi-State Committees.
Dr. Norland is a Certified Forester with the Society of American Foresters (SAF), an elected Fellow of SAF, and past Chair of the Ohio and National Capital SAF chapters. Prior to his appointment as a NIFA National Science Liaison he provided leadership at NIFA for the Renewable Resources Extension Act program and co-leadership for the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research program. He has a master's degree in Natural Resources (Forestry) and a Ph.D. in Environmental Biology from The Ohio State University. Dr. Norland represents NIFA primarily in the areas of natural resources and environment.