Washburn, 2021
Shannon Washburn, professor and chair of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), has been named the college’s Sanford G. Price and Isabelle P. Barbee Chair in Teaching, Advising, and Learning.
His term begins Nov. 1.
Washburn, who joined ACEL as professor and chair in 2020, previously served as an assistant dean for Academic Programs for the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University, from 2015 to 2020. In that role, he led the college’s student retention efforts, facilitated professional development opportunities for faculty and instructional staff on teaching and advising, and coordinated the course and curriculum processes for the college.
While at Kansas State, Washburn also served as a professor of agricultural education and as an associate professor of agricultural education. He earned his PhD in agricultural education from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Science in secondary education and a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education from Kansas State.
William H. Price II of Cody, Wyoming, funded the Sanford G. Price and Isabelle P. Barbee Chair in Teaching, Advising, and Learning in 2002 with a gift to The Ohio State University Foundation. The chair is named in memory of his father, Sanford G. Price, BS 1919, and his aunt, Isabelle Price Barbee, BS 1919, both of Woodville, Ohio.
The Price-Barbee Chair was established to support the leadership of an endowed faculty chair position charged with fostering a collegewide environment of excellence in teaching and learning, said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State’s vice president for agricultural administration and CFAES dean.
“We are grateful for William Price’s support to fund this position for CFAES and excited to welcome Dr. Washburn to this position,” Kress said. “The Price-Barbee Chair is a significant gift for the teaching, learning, and advising enterprise of our college.”
Having dedicated funding that supports learning and advising through the role of the teacher makes this gift unique, said Tracy Kitchel, CFAES senior associate dean and director of faculty and staff affairs.
“This position will focus on providing leadership and expertise around teaching and advising enhancement that will include initiatives at the college level designed to complement the work of the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning,” Kitchel said. “I am excited about the expertise Dr. Washburn brings to the table. We have such a diversity of expertise in our college, and to have expertise in teaching and learning is particularly valuable as it relates to this endowed chair. Dr. Washburn is an award-winning teacher who has a tremendous record of supporting future and current teachers at the secondary to postsecondary levels.”
In his new role as Price-Barbee Chair, Washburn said he plans to focus on several issues including:
- creating and directing a faculty exchange for teaching excellence to identify current challenges and barriers to effective teaching practice to be used in creating a prioritized plan for professional development needs.
- providing content direction and organization for a semi-annual college symposium in teaching excellence.
- providing leadership for a monthly new-faculty brown bag series on teaching and advising best practices.
- emphasizing priority on helping new faculty adopt research-based effective practices as they develop their teaching and advising identities in the early stages of their careers.
“I’m honored at the opportunity to work with the incredibly talented and dedicated faculty in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences to enhance their expertise in teaching to further strengthen the student learning experience in CFAES,” Washburn said. “There is such a rich tradition of teaching excellence and commitment to student growth in our college, and the Price-Barbee Chair is dedicated to continuing that tradition by providing ongoing growth opportunities for faculty and instructional staff.
“I look forward to partnering with my colleagues and helping them further refine their teaching craft.”
The appointment of Washburn as the Price-Barbee Chair will also significantly enhance the ability of CFAES’ Academic Programs to provide professional development opportunities for faculty members, said Steve Neal, associate dean and director of CFAES academic programs.
“Dr. Washburn brings important expertise to this role, which will be of great benefit for the college,” Neal said.
This article was originally published by CFAES Marketing and Communications.
