FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University’s Dr. Rudy Tarpley was honored Thursday at the annual conference of North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture with the organization’s Educator Award.

Tarpley, the Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, has been part of the Tarleton faculty since 2010.

“Being recognized at the national level is a great honor,” he said. “However, the best reward we receive as professional educators is to make a positive difference in the lives of our students.”

Tarpley received his bachelor of science in agriculture and extension education in 1985 from New Mexico State University, his master’s in 1991 from Mississippi State University and a PhD in education with a major in agricultural education and experimental statistics from Mississippi State in 1993.

He served on the faculty at College of the Southwest, Texas Tech, Eastern New Mexico and Utah State before coming to Tarleton.

At Tarleton he has contributed in over 150 departmental, college and university-level opportunities, including serving as an adviser, member and chair of faculty search committees, informing educator preparation councils and in teacher preparation accreditation work.

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of nearly 17,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. True to Tarleton’s values of excellence, integrity and respect, academic programs emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.