June 22, 2020
Barnard new assistant director for Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
Jessa Barnard is joining Kansas State University's Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss, or PHLIL, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, as assistant director. She will play a critical role in assisting the director to manage program operations, report to USAID and communicate to broader stakeholders on program activities, and ultimately help the lab secure dual benefits to partner countries and Kansas/U.S. agriculture alike.
Barnard recently served as director of study abroad in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, where she oversaw partner relations with about 20 institutions around the globe. She directed matters related to inbound and outbound student mobility including marketing, outreach, event planning and agreement management. In that role, she assisted faculty and staff in the college to implement international programs for students related to food and agricultural studies during winter and summer breaks, doubling the number of programs in her three-year tenure.
Barnard also has led or co-led programs in more than seven countries including a freshman year program focused on exposure to Central American agriculture in Guatemala. Prior to this role, she served as an academic advisor and experiential learning coordinator at Illinois.
Barnard has a Bachelor of Science in agricultural and consumer economics from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University. She brings with her to K-State a new angle that could factor into longer-term sustainability and institutionalization of the program — leadership in establishing international opportunities for university students. Barnard lives in Champaign, Illinois with her husband and son.