[ACEL]: Hi Denny! Why did you select your major?
[Hall]: I always knew that I would study agriculture, but it was my vo-ag teacher, Harold Karcher, that inspired me to study agricultural education. While at Ohio State and as a participant in several student organizations, I observed that many of the ag industry leaders that I looked up to were former ag teachers. My conclusion was that there must be something valuable in the training to become and the discipline of directing a vo-ag program that was good preparation for future endeavors.

Why did you choose to attend The Ohio State University?
My first thought is to say that there was never any doubt, but that is not true. While agriculture was and remains my passion, I actually explored the idea of going to Wilmington to play basketball. After a campus visit there and watching one of their games, I knew that style of play was not for me. Also, I knew I was not good enough to play basketball for the Buckeyes.

How did your education at Ohio State influence your choice of career or your career path?
During my freshman year, I was not very ambitious. I was content to just take classes and play sports. Then I met Dr. L.H. Newcomb. He changed my life. He saw potential in me that I did not see in myself and challenged me to assume a leadership role in the Ag Ed Society. He lit a fire in me that burns to this day. In all honesty, I have no idea who I would have been had it not been for LH.

What were you involved in as an Ohio State student?
I lived in Norton/Scott for three years.  After serving as co-chair of the Agricultural Education Society FSR Food Stand committee, I went on to several leadership roles within the College eventually serving as co-chair of the College Recognition Banquet and president of the Council for Agriculture, Home Economics, and Natural Resources (CAHENR) Council. In addition, I was a member of Bucket and Dipper and Sphinx honorary societies.

What professor, faculty or staff member had an impact on your education/career? How?
Dr. Newcomb had the most life changing impact, but the College community was full of faculty that were incredibly supportive and encouraging. I loved my advisor, Dr. J. Robert Warmbrod. Clarence Cunningham, John Stitzlein, Keith Smith, Jo Jones, and Nikki Conklin also had a major influence on my Extension career.

What is your favorite memory related to your time at Ohio State?
Ohio State is where I grew up. I went from a kid to being a citizen. The highlight is clearly that I met my wife of 36 years, Lynne, in the Norton-Scott Complex. She has been a terrific partner in life.

What was your first job following your education at Ohio State?
I taught Vo-Ag for two years at Ridgedale.

For what schools, companies and/or organizations have you worked throughout your career?
After a couple of ag extension agent retirements in my vicinity, I decided to try that out. I have loved extension work for the 34 years since.

During your career, have you received any awards or honors? If so, what are those?
I served as president of the CFAES Alumni Society and secretary of the Development Board. The Nature Conservancy awarded me their President’s Award for supporting farmer leadership of water quality and watershed management programming.

As of today, what is your favorite career highlight?
I am proud of the fact that I have played a significant role in attracting and managing over $30 million in major grants to the College and helping to craft a new vision for advanced bioenergy and biobased products in Ohio. I aspire to see over $1 billion in economic impact during my service at OBIC. To date, I can account for over $600 million in business and programmatic activity as a result of OBIC programs.

What advice would you give to a current student?
Be positive and passionate about the opportunities that you have to serve, whatever the role. Take advantage of opportunities the university provides.
Be intentional about your personal growth and development. Strive to innovate by looking at challenges and opportunities in creative ways.

What did ACEL cultivate in you? How?
My interest in agriculture was transformed into a career of public service and community leadership. There was no way to know the interesting work that would be in my future, but ACEL provided me a foundation to build a fascinating career upon.

[ACEL]: Hi Whitney! Why did you choose to major in agricultural education?
When I first went to college, I majored in animal sciences with the intention of pursuing a veterinary degree. Soon after I began classes, I realized vet school was not in my future, but I still enjoyed the livestock industry. During my first year at OSU, I also served as an Ohio FFA officer. This experience led to an interest in teaching at the high school level. After this year of service, I added the Agricultural Education major and am so grateful that I did!

Why did you choose to attend The Ohio State University?
I chose OSU because of its outstanding College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree and career in agriculture, and this was a natural fit in Ohio.

How did your education at Ohio State influence your choice of career or your career path?
My professors were instrumental in developing my passion for agricultural education. Their personal relationships with their students are impressive, and I was fortunate to have great professional relationships with the ACEL professors. They pushed me to be my best, while also helping me to find where I am most talented.

What were you involved in as an Ohio State student?:
I was involved in a variety of student organizations such as Saddle & Sirloin, Ag Ed Society, Towers Agricultural Honorary, and Buckeye Dairy Club. I was a CFAES Ambassador, and was a co-chair for the CFAES Banquet. I worked for Dr. Eastridge with research, and also worked with OSU Extension with the Ohio State Fair Skillathons. Finally, I had the opportunity to intern with Elanco Animal Health and The Maschhoffs, Inc., which were both outstanding experiences. While in Grad School, I was a member of the ACEL Graduate Student Association. I was also a TA for Dr. Lichtensteiger, which was another incredible experience.

What classes did you enjoy the most while at Ohio State?
I really enjoyed my animal sciences and agricultural education classes. My favorite class was Dr. Whittington’s methods class. This was one of the most influential classes for me as a teacher. I use so much of what I learned in that class today in the classroom.

What professor, faculty or staff member had an impact on your education?
Dr. Cano and Dr. Whittington were both influential in my education and career. Dr. Cano was the person that encouraged me to attend grad school and pursue a teaching career rather than an industry career. Dr. Whittington was my master’s advisor, and taught me a great deal about classroom teaching and research. I use what I learned today in my classroom!

What is your favorite memory related to your time at Ohio State?
Two memories come to mind. The first is the CFAES Banquet that I helped co-chair. It was a great experience to plan it, and was even better to watch it all come together. The second memory is working with Dr. Lichtensteiger as a TA. He is extremely intelligent, and I learned a great deal from him that I continue to use today in my classroom and in life.

What was your first job following your education at Ohio State?
My first full time job is the same job that I have today! I am an agriculture instructor & FFA advisor at Anthony Wayne High School, a satellite of Penta Career Center.

Have you worked with any other organizations to promote agricultural education?
My full time job is through Penta Career Center. I am also fortunate to serve as a network leader for GrowNextGen, which is a special project of Ohio Soybean Council.

During your career, have you received any awards or honors?
I recently received the Ohio Association of Agricultural Educators (OAAE) Agriscience Teacher of the Year. I will also receive the Region IV National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Agriscience Teacher of the Year award this December in Nashville. In 2014, I was awarded the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) Outstanding Agriculture teacher award. We have had the honor of hosting the Ohio Secretary of Education to our program two times, and I also had the honor of traveling to Honduras with Dr. Cano and other agriculture teachers/students in 2015. Another unique opportunity that I had was giving a testimony to the Ohio House of Representatives Agriculture & Rural Development Committee as an Ohio Agriculture teacher.

As of today, what is your favorite career highlight?
My favorite career highlight by far is seeing students succeed, reach goals, and find their passions. It is truly an honor to teach students on a daily basis, and the opportunity to see them find and pursue their passions is incredible!

What advice would you give to a current student?
Get involved, pursue a variety of internships, and stay focused!

What did ACEL cultivate in you? How?
ACEL cultivated a passion in me for quality research, effective teaching, and service learning. My master’s experience taught me how to conduct quality research. My undergrad experience combined with my graduate work taught me how to be an effective teacher in the classroom. My experiences in the block, Honduras, and as a TA showed me the importance of service learning.