Department of Agricultural Education

Bryan Garton joined the University of Missouri-Columbia staff in 1996. He has been dubbed a “teacher’s teacher” by one MU professor and “the most enthusiastic professor I have ever seen” by an MU student. Whether teaching courses in designing curriculum and instruction in agriculture or communicating about agriculture, Garton’s philosophy of placing his priority on his students and their learning needs always guides him.

As a teacher of prospective teachers, Bryan Garton’s own modeling of good teacher qualities demonstrates his love of his craft. One colleague said: “If I were in the 22nd century and human cloning was easy and I was asked to clone a model teaching professor, I would want to start with the genes of Bryan Garton. Bryan has so many qualities for a professor to have it is hard to know where to start a description.” A former student writes: “The ability of Dr. Garton to include us, his students, in several different ways made learning from him much more relevant.”

Garton received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MU and his doctorate from Ohio State. In addition to his teaching duties, he currently serves as chair of the Department of Agricultural Education and, among other teaching awards, has received the Golden Apple Award for teaching from the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.