Brad Dodson

For 27 years, Brad has been involved in agricultural education. He taught high school vocational agriculture at Lemoore High School for six years teaching primarily production agriculture courses. He then accepted a lecture position at California Polytechnic State University and his duties included coordinating the statewide in-service program for high school and community college agriculture teachers as well as teaching undergraduate agricultural education courses such as the Future Farmers of America, supervised occupational experience programs, computers, and field experience. While at Cal Poly, he received his masters degree in agriculture.

After six years at Cal Poly, he enrolled at Texas A&M University as a PhD graduate student in agricultural education. On a teaching assistantship, Brad taught courses, advised students and the Collegiate FFA Chapter. He was then hired by the California Department of Education as a regional supervisor for the Northern California area. He advised the regional FFA Program and provided technical assistance to high school agriculture teachers.

Brad coordinates the Agriculture Teacher Education program here at CSU Chico. He teaches agricultural education courses (see list below) and advises undergraduate and graduate students.

Brad lives in Chico with his wife, Debbie, of over 30 years. Debbie is a high school teacher and school counselor at Paradise High School. They have two children, Bryan and Breanna. Bryan has accepted a teaching position at Galt High School as an agriscience and agricultural mechanics teacher. Brea is a high school student at Chico High School.

Courses

Brad teaches most of the agricultural education courses required for the Specialist Instructional Credential in Agriculture and Single Subject Credential. They include:

• AGRI 201 - Introduction to Agricultural Education
• AGRI 210 - Early Field Experience
• AGRI 312 - Program Development in Agricultural Education
• AGRI 420 - Techniques in Vocational Agricultural Instruction
• AGRI 520 - Student Teaching: Agriculture
• AGRI 521 - Curriculum and Methods of Teaching Vocational Agriculture

Brad has also taught other courses in the past such as the capstone course of the leadership minor – UNIV 400; and ag leadership and fair management – AGRI 380B.

Research and Professional Interests

Brad is very interested in leadership development. He has had the opportunity to work with the State Association of the Future Farmers of America and National FFA Organization as an officer trainer, workshop presenter, speaker, and member of several task forces on leadership development. He has developed several resources for teachers to utilize in their role as an FFA advisor and classroom instructor including a chapter officer training guide and a program of activities planning tool.

Brad is also interested in teacher recruitment and retention. He is initiating a project that is designed to investigate the reasons why teachers leave the profession and then return.

Service to the College, University, and Community

Brad is the advisor for Alpha Tau Alpha, the faculty mentor for University Village Ag Theme Housing and the advisor for the Inter Club Council. When it comes to outreach services, he is the advisor of the FFA Field Day, Parliamentary Procedure Contest, and the Superior Region Prepared Public Speaking Contest.

Brad also conducts leadership workshops at the National FFA Convention, the New Professionals Conference and Student Teacher Conclave, and the Teacher Workshop for Ag Teachers in Arizona.

Brad and his students conduct team building training at Camp Sylvester for the Stanislaus FFA Section as well as the Chapter Officers’ Leadership Conference for the Superior FFA Region. Brad also assists with state and regional FFA officer candidate training, state officer training, and Paradise High School Counselors Team Building Retreat.

In past years, Brad has hosted the Superior Region Leadership contest, judged the semi-finals of the State Creed and Prepared Public Speaking contest, assisted with the State Parliamentary Procedure contest, attended the regional and sectional CATA meetings, judged the Chico Science Fair, advised the “Out in the Country” Day camp with Recreational Sports, and consulted the Delta Teachers Conference. He has also served on a number of committees including: Single Subject Advisors, AGED Advisory Committee, and the Position Search Committee.