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Dr. Jay Solomonson

Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education
Agriculture
Office
Clarence R Ropp Agriculture Bldng - RAB 140
Office Hours
Tuesday and Thursday 10 am- 12 pm
Office Phone
(309) 438-8084office
phone
Email
jksolom@ilstu.eduemail
  • About
  • Education
  • Awards & Honors
  • Research

Biography

Dr. Solomonson grew up on a 1000-acre family farm in rural, Coal Valley, Illinois. After high school, he attended Western Illinois University where he received his B.S. degree in Agriculture- Teacher Certification. He began his career at Orion High School where he taught agricultural education classes and was the FFA advisor for 17 years. During that time he earned his M.S. degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University. In 2019, he accepted a position as the District 1 Program Advisor for the Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE)- a project of the Illinois State Board of Education. He was in that position for a year prior to joining the faculty at Illinois State University. Dr. Solomonson teaches courses in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Leadership & Communications, and Agricultural Mechanization.

Current Courses

190.001Introduction To Agricultural Education

191.001Introduction To Agricultural Education Teacher Licensure

130.001Introduction To Agricultural Engineering Technology

130.002Introduction To Agricultural Engineering Technology

130.003Introduction To Agricultural Engineering Technology

390.001Program Planning and Evaluation in Agricultural Education

291.002Undergraduate Teaching Experiences In Agriculture

499.001Independent Research For The Masters Thesis

201.002Resources,Food & Society:A Global Perspective

302.001Special Problems In Agriculture

295.001Summer Experience In Agriculture Education

400.005Independent Study

130.001Introduction To Agricultural Engineering Technology

130.002Introduction To Agricultural Engineering Technology

130.003Introduction To Agricultural Engineering Technology

231.001Managing & Teaching In Agricultural & Technology Laboratories

291.005Undergraduate Teaching Experiences In Agriculture

Teaching Interests & Areas

- Agricultural Education
- Agricultural Leadership and Communications
- Agricultural Mechanization

Research Interests & Areas

- Agriculture Teacher Recruitment and Retention
- Experiential Learning and Supervised Agricultural Experiences
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

PhD Agricultural Education

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

MS Agricultural Education

University of Illinois
Champaign-Urbana, IL

BS Agriculture

Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL

Section 3 FFA Honorary Degree

Section 3 FFA Organization
2020

Honorary American FFA Degree

National FFA Organization
2019

NAAE Outstanding Agriculture Teacher- State Winner

Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers
2019

Illinois Agriscience Teacher of the Year

Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers
2016

Quad Cities Master Teacher Award

Quad Cities Dispatch/Rock Island Argus
2013

Quad Cities Leaders Under 40 Award

Black Hawk College Foundation
2012

Honorary State FFA Degree

Illinois Association FFA
2011

IAVAT Excellence in Teaching Award

Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers
2011

Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders Excellence in Agriculture Award

Illinois Farm Bureau
2009

NAAE Outstanding Young Member- State Winner

Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers
2007

Journal Article

Solomonson, J. K., Thieman, E. B., Korte, D. A., & Retallick, M. S. (2019). Why do they leave and where do they go? A qualitative study of Illinois school-based agriculture teachers who left the profession. Journal of Agricultural Education, 60(4), 115-131. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2019.04115
Solomonson, J. K. & Retallick, M. S. (2018). Over the edge: Factors nudging mid-career, school-based agriculture teachers out of the profession. Journal of Agricultural Education, 59(4), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.04001
Solomonson, J. K., Korte, D. A., Thieman, E. B., Retallick, M. S., & Keating, K. H. (2018). Factors contributing to Illinois school-based agriculture teachers’ final decision to leave the classroom. Journal of Agricultural Education, 59(2), 321-342 https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.02321

Magazine/Trade Publication

Solomonson, J. K., & Taber, T. (2020). Integrating drone technology into the agricultural mechanics curriculum. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 92(6), 20-23.
Wells, K.T., & Solomonson, J. K. (2020). Using virtual reality (VR) technology in school-based agricultural education programs. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 93(1), 12-15.
Solomonson, J. K. (2016). Crazy about co-op: Best practices to create a successful work-based, cooperative education program at your school. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 89(3), 11-12, 19.
Solomonson, J. K. (2015). Is agricultural mechanics still relevant in today’s high schools? The Agricultural Education Magazine, 87(4), 9-10.
Solomonson, J. K. (2015). The SAE struggle: Tips to get all of your students to have a quality program. The Agricultural Education Magazine, 87(4), 23-24, 27.
2019-07-12T15:25:48.49-05:00 2019