University of Idaho Extension associate director Bridger Fuez. (Courtesy UI)

University of Idaho Extension has hired Bridger Feuz as associate director.

He has a background in agricultural research and outreach, and experience in teaching livestock producers about economics and ranch management, according to a news release. He worked for 21 years with University of Wyoming Extension, serving as its associate director before joining UI.

Feuz will work from the UI Aberdeen Research and Extension Center and will live in Pocatello.

He succeeds Nav Ghimire, who left in June 2024 to become associate dean of the University of Nebraska Extension.

Feuz “brings to University of Idaho Extension experience as an educator, a specialist and an administrator,” Barbara Petty, associate dean and director of Extension, said in the release. “As an agricultural economist, he will provide leadership in agricultural programming, which complements my background in family and consumer sciences in our roles directing UI Extension.”

In his previous job, Feuz partnered with several members of the UI Extension team, especially in eastern Idaho.

He developed University of Wyoming Extension master cattleman and master woolgrower programs to benefit that state’s beginning livestock producers. He helped Extension educators in Utah and Idaho adopt the programs.

Feuz also worked closely with Idaho Extension educators while serving on rangeland and Master Bardener teams involving UW, UI and Utah State University extension programs.

“The U of I team seems to be a great team,” he said in the release. “They get along really well and they have great leadership, so that was really attractive to me. The educators I had partnered with before were always great partners and had really great programs.”

Feuz was raised on a Wyoming cattle ranch and participated in 4-H youth development livestock projects for nine years. From University of Wyoming, he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business, a master’s in agricultural economics and a doctorate in education.

Following his master’s program, he worked in the biotechnology industry for a company that did DNA testing of pedigreed dogs, cattle, poultry and egg-laying hens. His job entailed explaining the company’s products and services, and their economic benefits, to ranchers and producers, according to UI.

Feuz then became a University of Wyoming Extension educator and was promoted to specialist before becoming interim associate director five years ago. He became associate director 2 1/2 years ago.

His doctoral dissertation involved surveying western agricultural Extension programs about their perspective on Extension.

“I learned a lot about how people view their jobs, things that they feel can help them be successful and things they’re concerned about to really apply that knowledge in professional development,” Feuz said.

He sees opportunities to develop online, asynchronous learning programs for on-boarding and professional development in Extension, according to UI.