USU's Tyson Sorensen Awarded National Teaching Excellence Prize in Food & Agriculture

Growing up on an Idaho dairy farm, Tyson Sorensen learned early on about the hard work and satisfaction of a life in agriculture. But it wasn’t until he began working with students as a high school teacher that he discovered his true calling: sharing his love for agriculture with others.

Now an associate professor at Utah State University, Sorensen is inspiring the next generation of agricultural educators — work that recently earned him a prestigious national award.

Sorensen was honored at the recent Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ annual conference by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the Excellence in College and University Teaching in Food and Agriculture Award, which comes with $5,000 to support instructional programs.

Growing up in Dietrich, Idaho, Sorensen knew early on that he wanted to be involved with agriculture. He was active in the national FFA organization and took agriculture classes in high school. He planned to earn a bachelor’s degree and become an agronomist, advising farmers on improving soils, managing pests and maximizing their crop yields. However, after beginning his education at Utah State University, he decided his career would lay elsewhere.

“I didn’t plan on being a teacher, but somewhere down the road, I realized I really liked working with and teaching people,” Sorensen said. “It was an easy transition into agricultural education because many of the classes I had already taken counted toward my teaching degree.”

After graduating from USU, Sorensen was a high school teacher in Arizona for seven years. The students he taught came mostly from urban and suburban areas, so they often had no experience with traditional production agriculture.

“It was awesome to be able to share my roots and what I’d learned growing up with this population of students that were so removed from production agriculture,” Sorensen said. “I had a lot of fun teaching them about where their food comes from and developing agricultural literacy.”

Since joining the faculty in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Sorensen has moved from teaching students about agriculture to educating the people who will become agriculture teachers. While most of the students he works with are earning bachelor’s degrees, Sorensen also works with graduate students and people already teaching in the field. Additionally, he conducts research in education methods and provides service and leadership in various professional organizations.

For Sorensen, impactful teaching extends far beyond the classroom.

“My philosophy is that real education doesn't happen within the confines of four walls,” he said. “That's why I advise clubs and assist with study abroad and study away programs. They provide essential elements of learning by experience that you can’t get anywhere else, especially when it comes to agriculture. I also think students have to understand the global context of agriculture, and so I like to expose my students to experiences that open their eyes to different cultures, paradigms, methods and ways of thinking. I think that's critical if we're going to solve the problems of the future. And it’s just so rewarding for me to be able to offer those experiences.”

For example, Sorensen’s efforts were key in organizing a program that gives agricultural education students opportunities to do their student teaching at partnering high schools in Italy. For Sorensen, working with students and teachers on many different aspects of the teaching experience comes with a side benefit: it’s never boring.

“I love working with students, traveling with them, helping them learn the research process,” Sorensen said. “And of course, I love agriculture, so it's just a perfect blend of what I enjoy. The university has been a great experience for me in that regard. I love teaching future and current teachers so they can make even greater impacts on their students down the road.”

As for his teaching excellence award, Sorensen credits his workplace community and especially his colleagues in the Department of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education for his success.

“I think this is not a testament to me but rather the great colleagues, students, and administrators here,” he said. “We support each other, and I couldn’t do these things if I didn’t have students who trust me and what we do as professors. Utah State is just an awesome place to work, and that's really what this award is all about.”