Education: B.S. in Animal Science from West Virginia University; M.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Colorado State University; 2027 Ph.D. candidate in Adult Learning and Leadership at Kansas State University.

Jessica Turner is the Outreach Coordinator for the Agricultural Risk Policy Center at North Dakota State University, where she leads the Center’s communications, outreach, and stakeholder engagement efforts. She develops website content, publications, event promotions, and other resources that connect ARPC research and programs with producers, policymakers, researchers, industry partners, and the public. Jessica works closely with faculty and staff to translate complex agricultural policy and economic research into clear, timely, and accessible information while strengthening the Center’s relationships with its audiences.

Prior to joining ARPC, Jessica spent six years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, where she supported agricultural research, Extension, education, and federal grant programs and helped advance more than $100 million in federal investments. Her work included program and portfolio strategy, stakeholder engagement, research translation, grant administration, and interagency collaboration, with a particular focus on rural and underserved communities.

Raised in a rural coal-mining community in West Virginia, Jessica brings a deeply rooted appreciation for agriculture, education, and the land-grant mission to her work. Her background in agriculture, federal service, outreach, and adult learning allows her to make complex information approachable and useful while supporting ARPC’s mission of advancing informed decision-making in agriculture.