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By Mark Owczarski

Rick Rudd

BLACKSBURG, Va., June 5, 2009 -- Rick Rudd of Blacksburg, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and interim associate dean for Virginia Cooperative Extension in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been named the Virginia Cooperative Extension Professor of Excellence in Community Viability by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The Chair of Excellence for Community Viability was established in 2004 by an anonymous donor in honor of R. Michael Chandler, Donald P. Lacy, and J. Douglas McAlister in recognition of their services to Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The endowment provides support for a chaired professorship for Virginia Cooperative Extension, housed in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, to assist with the development of effective and responsive programs within Extension that deliver the expertise of Virginia Tech to communities throughout Virginia. The appointment honors Rudd’s extensive expertise in leadership and community development. It also recognizes his role as department head and professor in establishing programs in cooperation with Extension to assist rural communities with building viable futures.

Prior to joining Virginia Tech in 2006 as head of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Rudd was a professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida. In addition to his research and teaching, Rudd directed the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Teaching Resource Center where he coordinated faculty development programs in teaching and learning for teaching and Extension faculty. Rudd also created a center for volunteer leadership development, providing workshops, on-line training, and materials for Extension faculty and professionals working with volunteers in community and non-profit organizations.

Before his tenure at the University of Florida, Rudd was a graduate research assistant at Virginia Tech and conducted research on college recruitment, curriculum development, and the associate degree program. He also worked as a high school agriculture teacher in Ohio for six years.

A native of Ohio, Rudd has co-authored three books, wrote numerous scholarly publications, and has presented at more than 120 professional and academic workshops, Extension training sessions, and international, national, and regional presentations. Additionally, he served as a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or co-director of programs and research projects and contracts worth more than $1.4 million.

Rudd graduated with a Ph.D. in vocational and technical education from Virginia Tech after earning both his master’s degree in agricultural education and bachelor’s degree in agriculture from The Ohio State University.

Contact Mark Owczarski at maowczar@vt.edu or (540) 231-5223.

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