D. Barry Croom

I have more than thirty-five years of experience in agricultural and extension education. My career interest developed as a high school junior when I coached my first dairy judging team for the local junior high school FFA program. I began my professional career as a high school agricultural education teacher. While teaching full-time, I earned a Master of Education Degree in Agricultural Education. While a high school teacher, I was selected by the National FFA Organization to develop and present in-service workshops to teachers across the United States. My students earned state and national recognition for academic achievement. I was recognized as the Sampson County Schools Teacher of the Year and received the Honorary American FFA Degree from the National FFA Organization.

In 1996, I became an Extension associate responsible for the statewide FFA Program at North Carolina State University. After completing a doctoral degree in 1999, I became an assistant professor in the same department. I worked through the ranks to become an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor at North Carolina State University. I have served as an agriculture teacher, teacher educator, extension associate, state education staff member, professor, and department head in agricultural education and agricultural sciences.

For part of my outreach and engagement efforts, I directed the North Carolina Farm Bureau Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders for several years. I served as leader of the Oregon Team AgEd Board, and served on the Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation Board and the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation’s Summer Agriculture Institute Board. I coordinated the Western Oregon Summer Agricultural Institute.
 
I served as Professor and Department Head for Agricultural Education and General Agriculture at Oregon State University before returning to his native South. Part of my responsibilities included training and development for high school teachers, curriculum development for agricultural and extension education, and overall leadership for the graduate and undergraduate program.

As a professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication, my research and instructional focus is in agricultural education methodology, policy, history, and diversity.