Contact Social Sciences Team

The members of the team are: 

 

Title	Name	Location	Links
Team Leader	Frank Clearfield	Greensboro, North Carolina	frank.clearfield@gnb.usda.gov, 336-370-3336
Sociologist	Kim M. Berry	Greensboro, North Carolina	kim.berry@gnb.usda.gov, 336-370-3338
Cultural Anthropologist	Michael Johnson	Greensboro, North Carolina	michael.johnson1@gnb.usda.gov, 336-370-3331 x 404
Sociologist	Kathie Starkweather	Lincoln, NE	Kathie.Starkweather@nsscnt.nssc.nrcs.usda.gov, 402-437-4098

Frank Clearfield, Team Leader

• North Carolina A&T University
• Charles H. Moore Building, A-35
• Greensboro, NC  27411
• Tel: 336-370-3336    Fax: 336-273-8132

FRANK B. CLEARFIELD, the Director of the Social Sciences Team for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, has spent the last 15 years providing help on socioeconomic issues to a diversity of agricultural and industrial groups, conducting research, developing and delivering training materials, and formulating and implementing Federal Policy.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he received a B.A. in Psychology and sociology from East Stroudsburg University (East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) and an M.A. in sociology from the University of South Florida (Tampa, Florida). He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Kentucky in 1985. While at the University of Kentucky, he worked on agricultural Extension projects; such as farmer's use of telecommunications technologies and natural resource planning for water quality. He spent 5 years as a regional sociologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, providing assistance to 25 states in the Southern and Western regions of the United States. He then served as NRCS's National Sociologist in Washington, D.C. for 6 years.

Beginning in August 1995, He became the first Director of the Social Sciences Team. The Team's major tasks are to develop and transfer technology to NRCS employees and to our partners. He has written numerous articles and professionalonal papers, and has developed procedures to increase participation of diverse groups in U.S. Department of Agriculture programs.

Kim M. Berry, Sociologist

• North Carolina A&T University
• Charles H. Moore Building, A-35
• Greensboro, NC  27411
• Tel: 336-370-3338    Fax: 336-273-8132

Kim M. Berry is a sociologist on the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Social Sciences Team staff located in Greensboro, NC. She works to ensure the development, testing, transferring and use of valid and reliable social science technology in all agency programs and activities as well as develops technical notes, reports, and training material on the human element of natural resources management.

Kim began her career with the Soil Conservation Service working as a stay-in-school student in 1983. She then became a writer-editor on the Office of Public Affairs staff at national headquarters and worked on the Soil and Water Conservation News magazine staff for 5 years. She also served as a liaison to 14 national constituency groups including: Ducks Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League, the American Association of Retired Persons, and the Agricultural Research Directors for 1890 Institutions. Kim co-produced, wrote and appeared in a national video that highlighted the importance of working with constituency groups. Additionally, she has represented the agency on international, national, and local levels. In 1997, she lead a team of USDA employees and university professors to South Africa to establish a coalition between the predominately black University of the North and the South African government. She conducted one of the largest research studies on the topic of environmental justice that included interviews with more than 700 people in 11 states.

Kim has received several awards for working in community outreach, participating in job fairs, and maintaining superior work performance. She is a charter member of the National Organization of Professional Black NRCS Employees. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and a M. A. in Public Communications from The American University. She is a writer, researcher, trainer, and speaker on issues dealing with social science.

Michael Johnson, Cultural Anthropologist

• Tel: 336-370-3331 x 404        Fax: 336-273-8132

Michael Johnson has both a BA and an MA in Anthropology from New Mexico State University. He has 10 years field experience in archaeology and anthropology and worked in private contracting and for the United States Forest Service before coming to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Mike has held project postions in both field and laboratory work and served as the Assistant Forest Archaeologist on the Cibola National Forest. He spent 6 years with NRCS as a cultural resources specialist before coming to the Social Science Team.

Mike is interested in the application of decision support systems as they apply to everyday field decisions by agency personnel.

Kathie Starkweather, Sociologist

• Tel: 402-437-4098         Fax: 336-273-8132

Kathie Starkweather served as a regional sociologist for several years with the Northern Plains Regional Office, providing assistance to seven states. At that time she was very involved in watershed planning and worked closely with RC&Ds; on rural development issues. She has a BA degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska and is completing work on an MA in sociology from the same institution. Her areas of focus are rural sociology and social psychology. She was recently named a Fellow with the University of Nebraska Center for Applied Rural Innovation.

Kathie has done extensive research, training and speaking in several areas that focus on issues dealing with social science. She is a licensed mediator with the agency and for the State of Nebraska.