Dan Cotton
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Dan Cotton is Director of Communications & Information Technology (CIT) at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, NE. CIT provides professional leadership and support in communications, distance learning, computing, networking, and information technology to IANR academic departments and units involved in teaching, research and extension.
At Nebraska, Dan founded the Distributed Environments for Active Learning (DEAL) Laboratory which assists faculty in the development of Internet-based active learning environments. Prior to his work in Nebraska, he was Computer Coordinator for the Illinois Cooperative Extension Service where he provided leadership in the development of the organization's statewide computer network and technology resources. He also served as a consultant and partner to a consortium of rural telephone companies interested in bringing the Internet to rural Illinois communities.
At Illinois, Dan assisted the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) on several important grant proposals and in the development an Internet-based agricultural production support system. He also provided support in the development of PrairieNet, a community network located at the University of Illinois. Prior to Illinois, Dan was Manager of Personal Computer Operations for the Missouri Cooperative Extension Service.
Dan currently serves as a technology consultant to the Children, Youth and Family at Risk (CYFAR) initiative sponsored and managed by USDA, and is a member of a USDA task force involved in developing an information system (REEIS) designed to provide convenient customer access to important agricultural, family and food related research databases.
Dan is a member of the ADEC Program panel and is currently involved in helping member institutions consider whether wireless Internet services will effectively serve difficult to reach areas.