Rate My Professor J. Arbuckle Arbuckle

J. Gordon Arbuckle is a Professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Iowa State University, holding the Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture since 2023. In the field of social science, his career at Iowa State began in 2007 as Assistant Professor, advancing to Associate Professor in 2013 and full Professor in 2019. He previously served as Chair of the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture from 2019 to 2021 and Associate Chair from 2016 to 2019. Arbuckle earned his Ph.D. in Rural Sociology from the University of Missouri in 2007, M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri in 2002, and B.A. in Spanish from Guilford College in 1991. Earlier roles include Graduate Research Assistant in Rural Sociology at the University of Missouri and positions in agricultural economics and environmental management.

Arbuckle's research specializations center on drivers of farmer and agricultural stakeholder decision-making and actions to improve soil and water quality, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the environmental and social performance of agricultural systems. He directs the annual Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll. Key publications include Gao, L., and J. G. Arbuckle. 2024. 'What’s Good for the Land Is Good for the Farmer: Investigating Conservation-Related Variables as Predictors of Farmers’ Job Satisfaction.' Rural Sociology 89(2):311–34; Morris, C., and Arbuckle, J. 2024. 'The effects of collective trauma on Iowa farmers, their communities, and sustainability outcomes.' Agriculture and Human Values; Traldi, R. et al. 2024. “Safer to plant corn and beans”? Navigating the challenges and opportunities of agricultural diversification in the U.S. Corn Belt. Agriculture and Human Values; and Upadhaya, S., J. G. Arbuckle, and L. A. Schulte. 2023. 'Farmer Typologies Integrating Latent and Observed Characteristics: Insights for Soil and Water Conservation Outreach.' Land Use Policy 134:106889. His influence is evidenced by major awards such as the Fellow Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society (2022), Outstanding Achievement in Extension Award from Iowa State University and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (2021), Conservation Research Award (2020), and multiple Best Research Paper awards for the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (2018, 2020, 2022). Arbuckle serves as Research Co-Editor for the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation since 2023 and has held associate editor positions for that journal, Soil Security, and The Sociological Quarterly.