Rate My Professor Lucas Maxwell

Dr. Lucas Maxwell serves as Department Chairperson and Associate Professor of Agricultural Education in the Department of Agriculture at Illinois State University, where he began his tenure in 2017. He earned a Bachelor of Science in General Agriculture with a specialization in Agricultural Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to Illinois State University, Maxwell worked as an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Iroquois West High School and held a faculty position at Arkansas Tech University. In December 2024, he was appointed chair of the Department of Agriculture, effective July 1, 2025, recognizing his leadership and contributions to the program.

Maxwell's research specializes in secondary and post-secondary professional development in teaching, recruitment, retention, and placement within agriculture, food, fiber, and natural resources sectors. He has chaired the Department of Agriculture's Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Recruitment Committee, and advises multiple student organizations. He serves on the Illinois Agricultural Education University Council and the National FFA Agricultural Issues Career Development Event committee. His accolades include the 2018 NARRU Distinguished Young Educator Award, Outstanding Mid-Career Alumni Award from Southern Illinois University Carbondale's College of Agricultural Sciences, Outstanding Service Award from the Department of Agriculture, and Honorary American FFA Degree. Maxwell participated in the inaugural College of Applied Science and Technology Leadership Exploration and Development program and the Multicultural Leadership Program. Key publications encompass 'Lessons Learned: Challenges and Triumphs of First-Year Agriculture Teachers During a Global Pandemic' (Journal of Agricultural Education, 2025, with J. Solomonson et al.), 'Filling the Gap: Factors Influencing Individuals with No School-based Agricultural Education Background to Enter the Profession' (2024, with S. Still), and 'What is Scholarship? Faculty Knowledge and Perceptions of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning' (Journal of Agricultural Education, Volume 51).