New Associate Extension Director
May 28, 2025
University of Idaho Extension has hired a new associate director with a background in agricultural research and outreach and experience in teaching livestock producers about economics and ranch management.
Bridger Feuz worked for 21 years with University of Wyoming Extension, serving as its associate director before joining U of I on April 28. He’ll be working from U of I’s Aberdeen Research and Extension Center in southeast Idaho and living in Pocatello.
Feuz has filled a position that was vacated in June 2024 when Nav Ghimire left to become associate dean of University of Nebraska Extension.
“Bridger Feuz brings to University of Idaho Extension experience as an educator, a specialist and an administrator,” said Barbara Petty, associate dean and director of Extension. “As an agricultural economist, he will provide leadership for the agriculture programming, which complements my background in family and consumer sciences in our roles of directing UI Extension.”
In his previous job, Feuz partnered with several members of the UI Extension team, especially in eastern Idaho.
Benefiting his state’s beginning livestock producers, Feuz developed two intensive, multi-faceted UW Extension courses — the Master Cattleman and Master Woolgrower programs. Feuz also helped Extension educators in Utah and Idaho adopt the programs for their own stakeholders.
Furthermore, Feuz worked closely with UI Extension educators while serving on tristate rangeland and master gardener teams involving the UW, UI and USU Extension programs.
“The U of I team seems to be a great team. They get along really well and they have great leadership, so that was really attractive to me,” Feuz said. “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 during his childhood.
He attended UW, earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. He also finished a doctorate in education from UW last year.
He went to work in the biotechnology industry after completing his master’s program, spending eight years with a company that did DNA testing of pedigreed canines, cattle, poultry and egg-laying hens. Feuz’s job entailed explaining the company’s products and services and their economic benefits to ranchers and producers.
He then became a UW Extension educator and was promoted to specialist, before becoming interim associate director five years ago. He was made associate director two and half years ago.
His doctoral dissertation involved surveying western Extension programs about their perspectives on Extension. Having earned his doctorate remotely, Feuz sees opportunities to develop online, asynchronous learning programs for onboarding and professional development in 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.
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to more than 12,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.