Thomas H. Paulsen, associate professor and chair of the applied agricultural and food studies program, received the Outstanding Early Career Member award from the North Central Region of the American Association for Agricultural Education.

Thomas H. Paulsen, associate professor and chair of the applied agricultural and food studies program at Morningside College, recently received the Outstanding Early Career Member award from the North Central Region of the American Association for Agricultural Education.

The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to agricultural education early in their career. Criteria includes excellence in teaching undergraduate and graduate students, as well as significant research, scholarly writing and service in agricultural education.

Paulsen received the award at the organization’s annual research conference at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Also during the conference, Paulsen served as a research conference session discussant, and he was elected to serve on the regional research committee.

Paulsen served for 21 years as a high school agricultural education instructor and FFA adviser and eight years as the coordinator of the agricultural teacher education program and professor-in-charge of the student-managed Ag 450 farm at Iowa State University in Ames. On July 1, Paulsen assumed his new role as chair of the applied agricultural and food studies program at Morningside College.

Paulsen has a doctorate in agricultural education from Iowa State University.