New Frontiers classroom named for father-son duo and its impact on agricultural education

Friday, December 3, 2021

Media contact: Mandy Gross | Senior Manager, Strategic Communications and Special Projects | 405-744-4063 | [email protected]

For Phil and Ruth Terry of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, supporting Oklahoma State University’s New Frontiers campaign as major donors to build a new OSU education, research and extension center for OSU Agriculture was an easy choice.

The couple chose to name the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education Teaching Lab for the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership in honor of Phil’s brother, Robert (Bob) Terry Sr., and his nephew, Robert (Rob). Terry Jr. The Dr. The Bob Terry Teaching Lab will be located on the second floor of the New Frontiers Farm Hall.

“Bob and Rob are fundamental and an integral part of agricultural education at OSU,” said Phil Terry. “Ruth and I are convinced that the names of Bob and Rob should be considered part of the new building. ”

The Oklahoma State Regents’ Policy for Higher Education prohibits any name of an active OSU employee. When Terry Jr. retires or is no longer an active employee, the room will be renamed Drs. Bob & Rob Terry Teaching Lab.

For the father-son duo, their love for agricultural education turned into a livelihood.

Terry Sr. received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education from Oklahoma A&M in 1959 and 1962, respectively, and a doctorate in agricultural education from Ohio State University in 1969.

Prior to earning his doctorate, he worked as an agricultural education teacher in Oklahoma at Perry, Sumner, and Lone Wolf High Schools. In 1969, he joined OSU and has held many positions over the years as an assistant professor of agricultural education, associate professor, professor and department head, and director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program.

He spent over 30 years impacting the lives of thousands of students and leaving a legacy at OSU before retiring in 2002. Even after his retirement, Terry Sr. remained involved in the OSU. university by presenting the history of OSU to incoming students and keeping in touch with agricultural education. .

Terry Sr. said it’s hard to articulate what it means to have the space named in his honor.

“Indescribable,” he said. “I just can’t express my feelings in words. “

Terry Jr. graduated from OSU in 1984 and 1988 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural education. He then received his doctorate in agricultural education from Texas A&M University in 1990.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Terry Jr. began his career as an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Owasso High School before landing positions in higher education at California Polytechnic State University, Texas Tech University. , Texas A&M University, University of Missouri, and OSU.

He is currently Professor and Head of the OSU Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership, a position his father once held, and holds the Rodger Howell Memorial Chair in Agricultural Education.

“Bob and Rob both love to teach,” said Phil Terry. “When you love what you do for a living, success is usually the result. They are dedicated educators who care deeply about their students and want their students to be successful as well. ”

When asked what advice Terry Sr. would give the younger generation, his response was one word: beware.

Terry Jr. added that his father posted a paper sign on his office wall that read, “People don’t care what you know until they know how much you care,” and it was a mantra he always followed as a teacher. and married as an educator.

Terry Jr. prefers that the named space honor his father for his impact on students and members of the FFA and as a leader in agricultural education in Oklahoma and beyond.

“It recognizes his career of preparing young people to become agricultural teachers and the ripple effect when you prepare someone to become an agricultural teacher, which then impacts so many lives in the local community,” he said. he declared. “Pursuing the same career path, I am very aware of his impact and his passion for agricultural education. Dad really deserves this recognition. I know it is very humiliating for him, and I feel it too. It’s just an amazing gesture that is well deserved.

Phil and Ruth Terry are both staunch supporters of OSU and understand the value of agriculture and the importance of agricultural education in schools. This was instrumental in donating to the New Frontiers campaign and in nominating space in the new home for OSU Agriculture.

Dr. Bob Terry’s teaching lab will be a model learning environment that will showcase the CASE curriculum and teaching methods to further integrate and inform science in agricultural education. This type of space is not offered in the existing agricultural hall and will benefit future teaching efforts and students when the new building opens, scheduled for fall 2024.

Capable of accommodating 36 students, the space will serve as a flexible and versatile teaching environment lab equipped with distance learning and teaching technology, including live video, video recording and video capture. Classes.

The purpose of the hall is to replicate the classrooms and high school curricula for students who wish to become next generation agricultural science teachers. The technology will record students giving lessons or conducting hands-on experiences, allowing them to watch their performance and improve their teaching approaches before entering their own classroom.

In addition to naming, Phil Terry has a special request to include the “Teaching Teachers” message in the classroom decor.

“Ruth and I recognize the importance of good teachers,” said Phil Terry. “The message of ‘Teaching Teachers’ aims to remind all who read it of the importance of teaching our future teachers.

For more information, visit New Frontiers for campaign progress, construction updates, and donor testimonials.