Rob Terry receives Ferguson College of Agriculture teaching excellence award
Monday, June 30, 2025
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Robert Terry Jr. is the inaugural recipient of the 2025 Ferguson College of Agriculture Dick and Malinda Berry Fischer Award for Teaching Excellence. This award, created by Dick Fischer and his late wife, Malinda Berry Fischer, recognizes outstanding teachers in agriculture and natural resources.
Terry is the Rodger Howell Memorial Professor of Agriculture Education in the OSUDepartment of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership. He has a longstanding connection with the Ferguson College, having earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education from OSU. Before his current faculty role, Terry served as department head from 2010 to 2024.
Shane Robinson, agricultural education, communications and leadership department head, is not only a colleague of Terry’s but also one of his former students.
“Simply put, Dr. Terry is one of the most engaging and creative teachers in our profession,” Robinson said. “Each lesson he teaches is planned with precision and strong consideration to attend to his learners’ individual and collective needs. His ability to help students make sense of their learning is a true gift, and he is a model teacher for others to observe and emulate.”
Terry’s inclusion of a variety of activities into his teaching, such as magic tricks, puzzles, drawings and team-based challenges, makes him a dynamic and creative instructor, Robinson said.
Terry teaches courses including Foundations and Philosophies of Agricultural Education and Agricultural Leaders in Society, leads a yearly study abroad course in the Czech Republic, and advises undergraduate and graduate students. He has been recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Agricultural Educators and the Distinguished Agricultural Teacher Educator Award from the American Association for Agricultural Education.
“As a teacher, we don’t do what we do for awards and recognition,” Terry said. “The recognition is having students walk out of the class having progressed from where they were.”
Jessica Toombs, OSU agricultural education alumna and assistant professor of agricultural science and education at California State University, Chico, said Terry has profoundly impacted her academic career.
“Dr. Terry is the epitome of an excellent teacher, and I am just one of the thousands of lives that have been guided by his influence,” Toombs said. “He has directly shaped my professional experiences and provided formative opportunities that have shaped all aspects of my life.”
Terry described teaching as both a science and an art, an approach that enhances student learning.
“Dr. Terry is an enthusiastic and encouraging educator,” said Cynda Clary, associate dean of academic programs. “He is continuously innovating and improving his curriculum and teaching methods, which positively benefits his students.”
Terry aims to inspire his students to pursue a career in agricultural education by providing them the opportunity to learn from experienced educators, he said.
“I have one of the neatest jobs you could possibly have — getting to work with young people to become teachers,” he said. “The key to the future for so many young people, whether they’re in pre-K or college, is the opportunity to learn from masterful teachers.”