WILMINGTON — Monte R. Anderson, Ph.D., of Wilmington will be inducted Aug. 6 into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Anderson has spent more than 35 years planting seeds, as an educator.
As chair/coordinator for the Agriculture Department at Wilmington College, Anderson is responsible for more than 275 agriculture students. His focused teaching responsibility is in agricultural education, horticulture and agronomy.
Each year, WC students are guided by Anderson to germinate the vision of a career in agriculture within them, allowing them to grow into a legion of proud, productive agriculture professionals.
Anderson is above all an advocate — an advocate for agriculture, an advocate for Wilmington College, and an advocate for the agricultural student.
After receiving his Ph.D. in agricultural education from The Ohio State University, Anderson began his career at Blackhawk Community College, where he was the Division Director for Agriculture. While serving in this role, he developed and implemented a recruitment model that led to recruiting and retaining over 200 full-time students in the program.
Anderson joined Wilmington College in 1985 as an assistant professor in the Department of Agriculture, rising quickly through the ranks to receive tenure in 1991 and full professor status in 1994.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous teaching awards. Most recently these include: Southern Ohio Commission of Higher Education Faculty Excellence in Teaching (2012); Wilmington College Student Government Assoc. Teaching Excellence Award (2014) and (1995); and the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities Teaching in Excellence Award (2014).
At the Ohio State Fair this summer the Ohio Agricultural Council will also induct Tim Corcoran of Chillicothe, Randy Brown of Nevada (in Ohio), and Keith Stimpert of Worthington, into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame.
“We are pleased to recognize this outstanding class of Hall of Fame inductees,” said Mike Bumgarner, president of the Ohio Agricultural Council.
“Though our 2021 inductees represent diverse elements of the agriculture industry, from education to associations to those who dedicate their lives on the farm, all inductees have demonstrated deep dedication to the lasting improvement of Ohio’s agriculture industry, through their leadership, mentorship and advocacy efforts,” Bumgarner said.
The four new inductees will join 237 prior recipients named since 1966 when the program began.
