It's All About the People

By Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

I'm not sure how many times I've heard either Governor Pillen or former Governor Ricketts say that the best thing about Nebraska is the people. Each time I heard that, I had to agree that to be the case for me. In my years of experience working for the National FFA Organization, I had many opportunities to work with Nebraskans, either at the university, with agriculture teachers, state department of education, or state FFA staff. I can honestly say those engagements were positive.

Now, in my three years as Dean of NCTA, I've found the statement to be true, that the people are what make Nebraska great. It is definitely one of the greatest attributes of Curtis. I want to believe it is also one of the best assets of NCTA. We have amazing people working here who love what they do and care about the success of our students.

Today I want to highlight two people who have worked very hard over the past 16 and 14 years. Dr. Brad Ramsdale and Dr. Eric Reed have been promoted to the rank of full professor through the University of Nebraska system. This is evidence of years of hard work, dedication to the profession, and proven success in the classroom.

Dr. Brad Ramsdale is our professor of Agronomy and teaches all the agronomy and plant science-related curriculum at NCTA. He coached the crops judging team to another 1^st place finish at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference this past spring. Brad is active in NACTA, serving on the Executive committee as the Judging Conference Director since 2020. He has been attending the annual Teaching Conference since 2010. Brad just recently received the NACTA Educator Award.

Brad has also received the 2016 Holling Family Award for Teaching from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska; the 2019 NACTA Judging and Student Services Award; and the 2020 Bruntz Family Teaching Award at NCTA.

Brad started his career at NCTA in August 2007 and serves as the faculty advisor of the Farm Bureau Club. Brad will also serve as the Senior Director of Academic Services this fall, providing guidance over all academic programs across campus.

Dr. Eric Reed was awarded full professor for our general education courses, advises the Phi Theta Kappa International College Honor Society (PTK) and Student Senate. Eric has developed innovative hands-on strategies in his courses to apply human development skills like speech, leadership, writing, and human relations skills to create impactful leaders.

Eric holds Masters-level degrees in History, English, and Political Science, and a Ph.D. in English with a  focus on Technical Communications and Rhetoric. He has also completed 18 hours of graduate work in Counseling and School Psychology and 18 hours in Speech and Communications. Very few people in the profession have the breadth of qualifications that Eric has due to his perseverance in seeking out knowledge and professional development.

Among the honors that Eric has received are the 2021 Bruntz Family Teaching Award, the Student Senate Faculty of the Month award in 2022, and this year was recognized for ten years of service to PTK. Eric also serves NCTA as the Director of Transfer Programs, ensuring all students that plan on transferring to a four-year institution are accurately placed for the easiest transition, as well as ensuring students transferring in credits from other colleges are accurately accounted for.

Please join me in congratulating both Brad and Eric when you see them downtown or across campus. Both are excellent examples of the people who make Nebraska a great place to live and work.

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and student teams' success in competitive activities, including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.

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NCTA Events:

July 9-14: Tri-State Ag Teacher Conference

July 13: Recruiters at NAYI UNL East Campus

July 17: Recruiters at Nat’l High School Rodeo Finals

July 17: Farewell Reception for Doug Smith

July 18: New Student Enrollment

July 20: Rural Fellow Presentation – Arboretum Tour