Dr. Lucas Maxwell

Biography

Dr. Lucas D. Maxwell (He | Him), a native of Farmer City, Illinois, grew up on an 1,100-acre family farm. He earned a Bachelor of Science in General Agriculture with a specialization in Agricultural Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) in 2001. After graduation, he spent three years as an Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor at Iroquois West High School in Gilman, IL.

After earning his Master of Science, Dr. Maxwell returned to SIUC in 2005 as Coordinator of Recruitment, Retention, and Placement for the College of Agricultural Sciences, helping boost enrollment and maintaining a retention rate over 20% above the university average. He completed his Ph.D. in Agricultural Education at the University of Missouri in 2010.

From 2012 to 2017, Dr. Maxwell was an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education at Arkansas Tech University, where he advised multiple student organizations and received numerous awards, including Agricultural Teacher of the Year and Young Professor of the Year in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

In 2017, Dr. Maxwell joined Illinois State University, where he works with undergraduate and graduate students in Agricultural Education, Communication, and Leadership. Active in state and national Agricultural Education initiatives, he serves on the Illinois Agricultural Education University Council and the National FFA Agricultural Issues Career Development Event Committee. He has chaired or served on multiple university committees, including the Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Recruitment Committee. Additionally, he advises several student organizations, such as the Agricultural Education Club, Alpha Tau Alpha, and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences.

Dr. Maxwell’s research focuses on professional development, recruitment, retention, and placement in agriculture, food, fiber, and natural resources. He has published eight peer-reviewed journal articles, 31 research papers, abstracts, or posters, and four non-referred magazine articles, securing over $400,000 in grant funding.

His professional accolades include the 2018 Distinguished Young Educator Award from the Non-land-grant Agriculture and Renewable Resources Universities (NARRU) and the 2020 Outstanding Mid-Career Alumni Award from SIUC’s College of Agricultural Sciences. In 2024, he was selected for the College of Applied Science and Technology Leadership Exploration and Development (LEAD) Program and the Multicultural Leadership Program (MCLP). He has also received the Department of Agriculture’s Outstanding Service Award and the Honorary American FFA Degree for his contributions to agricultural education.