Grady Roberts, Ph.D.

Professor and Distinguished Teaching Scholar of Agricultural Education and Communication

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

2024 Awardee

Addressing global food insecurity and enhancing the livelihoods of people across the world have driven Grady Roberts throughout his education and career.

As a professor of agricultural education, Roberts prepares the next generation of educators to help protect and enhance global food systems through their own students. Brian Myers, chair of the UF/IFAS agricultural education and communication department, nominated Roberts for the UFRF distinction.

“Roberts’ research has and will continue to inform the development, delivery and evaluation of educational programs in colleges of agriculture worldwide,” Myers says.

Roberts’ current research focuses on understanding the future of land grant universities in meeting the needs of college graduates. Those students experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to learn about artificial intelligence. They’ll also face a rapidly evolving job market. By studying these influences, he hopes to shape educational programs in a way that is beneficial to both graduates and the workforce.

Roberts is one of only 10 people designated as a Fellow by both the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education and the American Association for Agricultural Education. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Advancements in Agricultural Development, an open-access journal that publishes social science research related to food, agriculture and natural resources.

Myers refers to Roberts as “one of the most prolific researchers” in the agricultural education field. Throughout his career, Roberts has published 175 articles and professionals in his field have cited his work more than 5,000 times.

“My field is widely known for its exceptional teaching, but faculty in my discipline are seldom known for their research,” Roberts says. “Since achieving the rank of professor in 2013, I have been working diligently to elevate the stature of research and researchers in my field. Although the UF Research Foundation Professorship is an individual award, I think it is a demonstration of the quality of work by researchers in agricultural education.”

Roberts describes science as a “team sport” and acknowledged Nicole Stedman, UF’s associate provost and dean of the graduate school; Amy Harder, a former UF/IFAS colleague now at the University of Connecticut; and Jimmy Lindner, a professor at Auburn University, as key collaborators on research and grants during his career.