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Murray State dean recognized by national ag association

MURRAY, Ky. — Tony Brannon, dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray State University, was recently elected as a senior fellow by the American Association for Agricultural Education.

According to the posted nomination guidelines, “the purpose of the Senior Fellow award is to recognize those members of the association who have made exceptional and sustained contributions to the profession and who have more than 20 years of active service at the university level. No more than three Senior Fellows may be elected in a calendar year.”

Brannon has served as dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture since 2004 and has served on the faculty at Murray State since 1988. This award comes from the nomination of a peer and the recommendation of former students and colleagues.

One supporter wrote, “Dr. Brannon has risen through the ranks of teacher educator, department head, and now dean of the school, but he has never taken his focus away from the success of his students and his faculty members. I believe that there could be no finer example of what I hope to represent to those around me as a leader.”

The senior fellow is a highly coveted rank that must be voted on by a national delegation and is esteemed as the highest lifetime achievement honor that is bestowed by the organization.

“It means a lot to know that my colleagues from across the nation have judged my contributions as worthy enough to have been named a Senior Fellow,” said Brannon. “As the only recipient of this award ever selected from a non-land grant school, I humbly accept it on behalf of Murray State University, our past and present Agriculture and Agricultural Education faculty and staff, and all the hard working, underappreciated teacher educators and administrators at the non-land grant schools across the country.”

Brannon’s accomplishments that were highlighted at the recent awards ceremony included the growth of the Hutson School of Agriculture by a measure of fourfold, his research publications related to agricultural education, his continuous service to the FFA and the profession, and his focus on seeing the Murray State Hutson School of Agriculture rise to its prominent national status.