J. Gordon Arbuckle, professor of sociology, is the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Extension and Outreach Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. His extension programming centers on natural resource conservation and the environmental and social sustainability of agriculture. He brings social science research-based information to bear on agricultural adaptation to climate change, improvement of soil and water conservation programs and policy, and informing better cropping systems management. The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, an annual survey of farmers established in 1982, is his primary extension program.
Arbuckle works closely with key agricultural stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, agricultural and environmental related groups, and extension staff to help them better understand the farmers they work with. His focus on partnerships also emphasizes collaboration with research and extension faculty from departments across Iowa State and from other universities.