Stephen Young, the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s new Extension weed ecologist at the West Central Research and Extension Center, will take the lead on conducting research aimed at managing invasive plant species in riparian and other non-crop areas of West Central Nebraska.

He will work on reducing weed competition in cropping systems with limited water.

Young brings research experience from several states to Nebraska. His most recent weed control work was on the ability of established plant communities to resist invasion by yellow starthistle in California. He studied reduction of escaped and late emerging weeds in Idaho sugar beet during the late 1990’s and just finished a collaborative research project on the effects of corn, wheat and switchgrass, as biofuel crops, on below-ground soil processes in Washington.

He earned his doctoral degree from the University of California at Davis, his master of science degree from the University of Idaho at Moscow and his bachelor of science degree from Washington State University at Pullman.

Young said he and his wife had planned on living in the Midwest at some point and the research and extension position provided the opportunity. He believes his children will benefit from the more rural setting of Nebraska. Young has been interested in baseball for most of his life and someday hopes to attend the College Baseball World Series in Omaha.

To contact Young, call (308) 696-6712 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .