Dr. Jim Connors assumed the position of Chair of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in August. Dr. Connors was formerly an Assistant Professor in the Department from 1996 to 2000. In the fall of 2000, Dr. Connors left Idaho to join the faculty in the Department of Human & Community Resource Development at The Ohio State University.

Dr. Connors received his B.S. degree in Agribusiness & Natural Resources Education from Michigan State University in 1984. He taught high school agricultural education at Brown City High School in Michigan from 1984 to 1989. He returned to Michigan State to complete his M.S. (1990) and PhD degrees (1992).

On July 1, 2011, the department merged with the State 4-H Office to become the Department of Agricultural Education & 4-H Youth Development.

Foor, R. & Connors, J. J. (in press).  Pioneers in an emerging field: Who were the early agricultural educators?  Manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Agricultural Education.

Connors, J. J., Falk, J. M., & Epps, R. B. (in press).  Recounting the legacy: The history and use of FFA camps for leadership and recreation.  Manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Agricultural Education.

Wolf, K. J. & Connors, J. J. (2009).  Winning the war: A historical analysis of the FFA during World War II. Journal of Agricultural Education, 50(2), 113-123. 

Connors, J. J. & Velez, J. (2008).  The contributions of E.M. Tiffany and the FFA creed to leadership development within the FFA.  Journal of Agricultural Education, 49(2), 98-107.

Connors, J. J., Velez, J. J., & Swan, B. G. (2006).  Leadership characteristics of outstanding seniors in a land-grant university college of agriculture.  Journal of Leadership Education, 5(3), 93-109.