Nathan Kemper in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas has been named the winner of the Outstanding Teaching of a Course Award for 2023 by the Southern Agricultural Economics Association.

The purpose of the award is to recognize distinguished contributions of individuals to the profession of agricultural economics. Kemper received the award for his course AGEC 1103 - Principles of Agricultural Microeconomics.

"In any agricultural economics program, the introductory microeconomic theory class is vitally important, and that is certainly true for us," said John Anderson, professor and department head. "This is the first economics class that most of our students have ever had. It is not only their introduction to our discipline; for many, it is an introduction to a whole different way of thinking. It is also the first experience that most students have with our department and our faculty."

The course is required of all first-year agricultural business majors and is part of the university's social science core curriculum and general education curriculum.

Kemper's teaching philosophy and methods have created a classroom environment where students are motivated to learn. In 2017, Kemper developed AGEC 1103 for online delivery, his first, and in total, he has developed six online courses with a seventh planned.

"Dr. Kemper has developed AGEC 1103 to serve as a solid disciplinary foundation for students, but he also manages the course in such a way that students can connect not just with the material but with our program," Anderson said.

Largely based on the online content developed and directed by Kemper, the department has developed a new 100% online B.S. in agricultural business with a concentration in agribusiness risk management, currently on track for release in Fall 2023.

"Dr. Kemper has also developed an excellent online version of ag micro, and that course has served as the template for all our other online content development," Anderson said. "Under Dr. Kemper's leadership, we are currently in the approval process for a fully online undergraduate degree offering. Nathan Kemper is one of the best agricultural economics instructors in the country. His work in our ag micro class is emblematic of the quality of his work, his innovative approach to course development and delivery, and his creativity in linking instruction with the other missions of the department."

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability, and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor, and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and on Instagram at BumpersCollege.