Terry Tucker, Ph.D. ‘98 earned the 2022 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of innovative instruction that brought global education to generations of students at Cornell and beyond.
Tucker, professor of the practice in the Department of Global Development, provides intensive grounding in the principles of sustainable development through his on-campus courses. He also pioneered a diverse set of off-campus experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in international agriculture and rural development. Students gain new perspectives on development issues, approaches and actors through field-based courses, collaborative projects, and internships with community-based organizations, government agencies, NGOs, UN agencies, field-based research teams, among others. With the award, Tucker — who previously served on the faculty and academic administration (Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences) at SUNY Alfred — was recognized for “consistently superior teaching” and “outstanding service to students.”
Tucker joined Cornell in 1995 as associate director for both the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD) and the International Agriculture Program. In 2001 he founded the undergraduate International Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) major, and would serve as the strategic and tactical engine behind the major for two decades.
“Terry has left an indelible mark on our academic programs, from co-chairing the curriculum committee that designed our new undergraduate major, to serving as the director of graduate studies for the field of Global Development and the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Global Development, to launching a joint course for us with China Agricultural University. And his commitment to students and the student experience has propelled all of this work,” said Lori Leonard, professor and chair of the Department of Global Development.
Tucker played an instrumental role in the creation of the new Global Development major. The new major emphasizes field experiences and engaged learning and includes many of the advances in learner-centered pedagogy that Tucker made throughout his career.
“Terry was instrumental in helping us bring together more than 750 Cornell and Indian university students as a part of our course on agriculture in the developing nations since we shifted the course to India around 20 years ago,” said K.V. Raman, research professor of global development and course team leader.
“Long before experiential learning became recognized as a centerpiece of our academic programs, Terry was developing core concepts and logistical networks to make international learning experiences practical,” said Ronnie Coffman, professor of global development.
Along with his teaching Tucker advises and mentors IARD and Global Development undergraduate, Global Development MPS students and Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows. Additionally, he is co-director for the MPS program in Global Development. Tucker describes his sometimes decades-long connection with former students and Humphrey Fellows as not only a source of personal joy but also an opportunity to foster mentorship and learning between experienced professionals and current students.
“Terry was the reason I wanted to study agriculture at Cornell in the first place, and one of my main inspirations for joining the Peace Corps,” said Ariana Constant ’09, MPS ’14. “Those two major decisions impacted my life in the best ways possible. More than ten years after graduating from my undergraduate degree, Terry continues to engage with me in my career and give me opportunities to connect back to Cornell with current students.”
Tucker is renowned as a caring and nurturing teacher, said Sarah Giroux, ’03, MS ’06, Ph.D. ’11, who is now a professor of the practice at global development and director of undergraduate studies for the department.
“Seeing Terry engage with his students is to witness the very idea of what we all wish to see in a teacher,” Giroux said. “Terry encourages students to take leadership in their learning while providing the supportive structure and guidance that allows them to flourish in their education.”
Axel Letondot ’19 says that Terry is the faculty member who he went to the most for guidance. “His door has always been open to me and he has truly taken good care of me as a student in his program and as a recent graduate. I am fortunate to have been part of multiple international experiences while at Cornell, all of which I owe to Terry,” Letondot said.
From 2001 to 2010, Tucker served as director of Cornell’s Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a year-long professional development program for recognized leaders from low- and middle-income countries. He continues to advise Humphrey Fellows, most of whom are mid-career development professionals working in agriculture, rural development or natural resource management.
Matt Hayes is director for communications for Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
