Rate My Professor Jon Simonsen

Jon Simonsen is a Professor and Program Chair in Agricultural Education and Leadership in the Division of Applied Social Sciences at the University of Missouri's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. He also serves as Program Director of Agricultural Education and Leadership and Professor of Agriculture with MU Extension, located at 126 Gentry Hall in Columbia, Missouri. Simonsen holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Extension Education from The Ohio State University (2010), an M.S. in Agricultural and Extension Education from the same institution (2008), and a B.S. in Agricultural Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1996). He has been affiliated with the University of Missouri since 2010 and was promoted to full Professor in the 2023-24 faculty promotions.

Simonsen's research specializations center on codifying the processes through which individuals acquire leadership knowledge, skills, and dispositions to inform effective practices for developing high-quality leaders in agriculture. His academic interests include leadership education, student leadership development, international agricultural education, and school-based agricultural education programs. He directs the Litton Leadership Scholars program and teaches courses such as Ag Ed Ld 1000: Orientation to Agricultural Education and Leadership, Ag Ed Ld 3776: Litton Leadership Scholars, Ag Ed Ld 4320/7320: Methods of Teaching I, Ag Ed Ld 4993: Internship in Agricultural Education and Leadership, and Ag Ed Ld 8250: Leadership Theory and Application. Simonsen currently accepts new graduate advisees. For his outstanding teaching, he was inducted into the CAFNR Teaching Academy in 2024 at the Celebration of Excellence, recognizing his North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Educator Award. He previously received the CAFNR Golden Apple Award for demonstrating clarity, enthusiasm, accessibility, mentorship, and alignment of learning with objectives.