Dr. Brian Myers was raised on a grain and livestock farm in west-central Illinois. He received his BS and MS degrees in Agricultural Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Myers taught high school agriscience at Unity High School in Mendon, IL, for four years prior to beginning his doctoral studies.

He joined the AEC faculty in 2004 as a teacher educator. In 2016, Dr. Myers was appointed chair of the department. His research interests include: Agriscience Curriculum Development and Implementation, Connecting Research to Practice, and the Design and Delivery of Professional Development. Dr. Myers has advised over 40 graduate students (MS & PhD) and served on the supervisory committee for dozens more. He has authored or co-authored over 125 refereed journal articles and conference papers.

As an author or co-author, Dr. Myers has received outstanding article or paper presentation awards at the regional or national levels on 18 different occasions. He is a co-founder of Owl Pellets: Tips for Ag Teachers, a social media-based program to translate research-based findings in agricultural education into practical applications for educational practitioners. He also serves as the coordinator for LEAD IFAS, a professional development program for IFAS faculty and staff focused on developing the leadership skills of current and future leaders in IFAS.

Overall, Dr. Myers’ work is guided by the mission to develop passionate educators equipped with the knowledge, skills, and desire to make a positive difference in the lives of students. 

Awards

Roche Teaching Fellow, IFAS/CALS, 2013-2014

Honorary America FFA Degree, 2011

UF Sustainability Fellow, 2011

APLU Food Systems Leadership Institute Fellow, 2010

AAAE Southern Region Outstanding Young Member Award, 2010

NACTA Teaching Fellow, 2009

USDA Food and Agriculture Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award–New Teacher, 2008

Phi Delta Kappa Class of Emerging Leaders, 2008