Dr. Shibu Kar serves as the Associate Director of the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) program and Assistant Dean for the Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy program at Illinois Extension, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In his leadership role at IISG, he helps shape the program’s strategic direction by fostering research and outreach partnerships and setting priorities. He also oversees IISG programming and personnel in Illinois, integrating IISG initiatives into the Illinois Extension’s outreach efforts.

Previously, Dr. Kar served as an Associate Professor of Natural Resource Management at University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, a Regional Extension Specialist at Washington State University, and a Research Associate at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). He earned his Ph.D. in Forest Resources from Penn State and a Master’s in Environmental Management from Australian National University. His work emphasizes leading collaborative research, extension, and outreach initiatives that advance environmental sustainability, natural resource stewardship, and community resilience.