Q&A with Chad Higgins

Chad Higgins is the Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement at the University of Missouri.




Chadwick Higgins

What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri?  

I serve as the Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement, and I also serve as the Chief Engagement Officer for the UM System. In that role, I provide oversight of all programmatic/administrative leadership and educational programs, budgets, and initiatives of MU Extension and Engagement and off campus/county operations. I facilitate the development, delivery, and improvement of statewide UM System and Extension and Engagement programs in accordance with federal and state statutes and policies.  

I direct the development of integrated, collaborative and innovative issue-based, interdisciplinary programs to address community, state, and national priorities and I provide leadership for Extension and Engagement program evaluation, assessment and impact reporting. I also review, develop and administer budgets and staffing plans to achieve the goals of Extension and Engagement. 

I provide guidance and oversight for the non-tenure track standards and promotion and processes for MU Extension and collaborate with MU colleges’ promotion and tenure standards and policies. This position also holds the professorial title of Adjunct Professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences within the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. 

How long have you worked in this position? 

I started in this position in March 2024 but served as Interim VC from January 2023 to March 2024. 

What is your favorite part about the work you do? 

Enabling Missourians to make better decisions for themselves, their families, their business, and for their communities! It is an incredibly rewarding job. MU Extension transforms lives for the better in Missouri! Extension is a great asset for land-grant universities and we are positioned to do great things for all Missourians.  

Higgins, Sreevatsan & Daubert holding MU football.

How are you helping MU A&E Extension reach our #2xAg2030 goal? 

It is my job to do the best I can to support our A&E faculty and staff on and off campus. MU Extension is only as good as its people, and I feel like we have the absolute best people on earth working to make farmers, producers, and ranchers more profitable while at the same time taking better care of Missouri’s natural resources. Another aspect of this effort is creating and sustaining strong bonds with commodity leaders and other crucial partners like MOFB, MDA, MDC, as well as our elected officials and state leaders. The ag economy is incredibly important to the vitality of the state.  

What is something your CAFNR and MU Extension teammates may not know about you? 

I lived on the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands and worked as a carpenter for a resort. It was an awesome place to hang out for a couple of years. The beaches were incredible and I met a lot of very interesting people from all over the world! The story of how I ended up on St. John is extensive, but funny!! Maybe another time 😊 

What is your hometown, place of high school graduation, and degrees/universities? 

My hometown is Pinebergen, Arkansas (which didn’t have a stoplight or stop sign). My family owned and operated a small grocery store and gas station there. We also raised swine. I graduated from Pine Bluff High School. I received my BA in History from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas and my master’s in education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I received my PhD from the College of Agriculture at LSU.