Deputy secretary of ag to deliver Heuermann Lecture

Stephen Censky, deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will discuss leadership and the future of agriculture in the Feb. 14 Heuermann Lecture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The free lecture, “Leading Today for America’s Tomorrow,” is 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Auditorium, 2020 Transformation Drive. Boxed lunches will be served. Reservations can be made online.

“We’re thrilled to have the deputy secretary of agriculture coming to our campus,” said Chancellor Ronnie Green. “Agricultural production and trade are critical issues to Nebraska’s economy and way of life. And, UNL is and has been a groundbreaking leader in agricultural sciences and natural resources research.

“What a tremendous opportunity for our community to hear from the second-highest ranking official at the USDA on issues that are vital to our state and university.”

The lecture is being held during Nebraska’s Charter Week celebration, which celebrates the university’s 150th anniversary as a Land Grant institution.

Censky has served as the deputy secretary of agriculture since Oct. 11, 2017. He previously worked for 21 years as chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association, a national nonprofit trade association representing U.S. soybean farmers on policy and trade.

He began his career working as a legislative assistant for Sen. Jim Abdnor (R-South Dakota). Censky later served during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations within the USDA. His tenure includes working as administrator of the foreign agricultural services, which included involvement in running the nation’s export programs.

Censky received a Bachelor of Arts in agriculture from South Dakota State University and a postgraduate diploma in agriculture science from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is originally from Jackson, Minnesota.

Heuermann Lectures are sponsored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Feb. 14 talk is being held in partnership with the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance. The Yeutter Institute connects academic disciplines related to law, business and agriculture to prepare students for leadership roles in international trade and finance, supports interdisciplinary research and furthers public understanding of related issues.

The lecture series is funded by a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips. The Heuermanns are longtime university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.

Lectures are streamed online and air live on campus channel 4. Lectures are archived after the event and are later broadcast on NET2.