University of Nevada, Reno Extension has hired sociologist and data analyst Audrey Omar to help better communicate the impact of its outreach and engagement programs serving Nevadans. 

Omar brings a wealth of experience in research design, data analysis and family programming. She will oversee the transformation of the current impact database into a centralized dashboard designed to organize, monitor and report key information on Extension initiatives and funding.

The dashboard’s user-friendly design will allow Nevadans to easily access information on Extension programs and their contribution to communities statewide. It will also provide university leadership, funders and partners with tools to track progress and make data-driven decisions.

“Being publicly funded means we have an obligation to show where these funds go and what they are achieving,” said Jacob DeDecker, director of Extension and associate dean for engagement in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. “This dashboard will strengthen how we communicate the value of our work and help us uphold our commitment to public accountability.”

For more than a century, Extension has supported individuals, businesses and communities across the state by providing evidence-driven information to improve lives through community education and outreach initiatives. Its programs address critical areas such as health and nutrition, farming and ranching, youth education, and economic development.

“I’m excited to lead this initiative to reinforce Extension’s internal information systems and create a more systematic approach to data sharing,” said Omar, who serves as both Extension research professor and a faculty member in the Department of Sociology. “Beyond its main purpose, we also plan to use the dashboard to bridge Extension with other University outreach efforts to further boost resource efficiency and support more impactful programming.”

In addition to leading the dashboard project, Omar will work with program coordinators to strengthen data collection and evaluation efforts. She’ll provide training in survey design, metrics development and impact assessment to support more consistent, effective evaluation across the state.

Omar holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Washington, where she specialized in families, gender, parenting, social psychology and survey research methods. She also earned sociology degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Washington. Prior to joining Extension, she worked as a statistician with the Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, supporting a variety of research projects through survey design, interviews, focus groups and data analysis.