Skip to main content

SFA agriculture professor named Distinguished Young Educator

Dr. Candis Carraway

Dr. Candis Carraway


NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Dr. Candis Carraway, Stephen F. Austin State University assistant professor of agriculture, was named the 2020 Distinguished Young Educator by Non-land grant Agriculture and Renewable Resources Universities.

This national award recognizes meritorious teaching at a NARRU institution and is awarded after a rigorous application and evaluation process.

“I firmly believe Dr. Carraway is the epitome of a distinguished young educator,” said Dr. Joey Bray, chair of SFA’s Department of Agriculture. “She is a passionate educator who truly cares for each and every student she teaches and takes pride in mentoring our students and getting them to realize their true abilities.”

Carraway served as a secondary agricultural science teacher for 16 years before earning a doctoral degree in agricultural communications and education from Texas Tech University. She joined SFA in 2017 and teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in agriculture. She also supervises all pre-service secondary agricultural science teachers.  

Since joining SFA, Carraway has created two new courses to help strengthen SFA’s agriculture education curriculum and hosted SFA’s first Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education Animal Science Institute that was attended by agriculture educators from seven different states.

Carraway maintains a robust record of leadership, including, but not limited to, serving as the president for the Agricultural Consortium of Texas and membership on the board of directors for the Texas FFA Association. She also is co-chair for the SFA University Internship Strategy Committee, a member of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture’s Undergraduate Research Committee and a member of the American Association of Agricultural Education Professional Development Committee.

This is the first time an SFA professor has received this honor. Carraway will be recognized at the NARRU annual meeting held virtually next month.