Joe Sanders, the new executive director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. Photo courtesy: Joe SandersSanders_web
LINCOLN, Neb. – Joe Sanders has been appointed the new executive director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska.
DWFI is one of three University of Nebraska (NU) institutes in which talented experts across all four campuses come together to find innovative solutions to challenges facing our state, nation and world. DWFI addresses the complex challenges of water and food security, and its work directly supports the university’s commitment to local impact with global reach.
Sanders will officially assume the executive director position on Feb. 1, 2026, and brings more than 27 years of experience as an international development leader, designing and managing large-scale programs across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The university conducted an international search after Peter McCornick announced he would be stepping down from the role after 2025. The University of Nebraska thanks McCornick for nearly a decade of dedicated service to the institute.
“The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute represents the very best of the University of Nebraska,” said NU President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “DWFI is a model of collaboration — among campuses, among the public and private sectors, and among disciplines – throughout Nebraska and around the world. I am excited for Joe Sanders to guide this incredible institute into its next era.”
Throughout his career, Sanders has led eight major initiatives totaling over $330 million, with a focus on agricultural market systems, food security, climate resilience, irrigation, youth livelihoods and governance. His work is rooted in locally led solutions and long-term institutional strengthening. Sanders has mobilized over $240 million in leveraged resources and worked closely with governments, civil society and the private sector in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
“I am thrilled to welcome Joe Sanders to Nebraska and to work alongside him to advance water conservation, water use and food security,” said Tiffany Heng-Moss, interim Harlan Vice Chancellor for UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Joe brings incredible experience to this position, and I’m excited for him to begin in his role and meet with the team members and partners across Nebraska who have contributed to the local and global success of this important institute.”
Sanders earned his Master of Science degree in managing rural development from the University of London and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Catholic University of America.
As DWFI executive director, Sanders will provide leadership, strategic direction and oversight for the institute’s three primary missions of research, education, and policy, while continuing to build DWFI as a global leader and partner in the international water and food communities.
“I am honored to join the University of Nebraska and to serve as executive director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. DWFI’s commitment to collaboration and applied, science-based research brings together world-class expertise in research, education, and policy to address one of the most urgent challenges of our time—how to sustainably manage water to feed a growing world. I look forward to working with faculty, partners, and communities to scale practical solutions that strengthen resilient water and food systems in Nebraska and around the globe.”
-University of Nebraska
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