Dr. Donna L. Graham

Dr. Donna L. Graham has spent almost 50 years with the University of Arkansas System, starting in 1970 with the Cooperative Extension Service in Jefferson County. In 1985, she moved to the Fayetteville campus as a faculty member in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and served 10 years as Associate Dean for Academic Programs. Graham has received numerous teaching and advising awards including the Spitze Land Grant Faculty Award for Excellence as well as recognition as a Distinguished Alumna from the UA Alumni Society. As a faculty member, Dr. Graham created curriculum to effectively train future extension agents and strengthen the college core. A recent effort led to the creation of Ag*Idea, a consortium of 12 universities to share agriculture courses online. She has secured approximately $1.5 million in funding to support educational programs. Graham’s career has been a progression of leadership beginning in the 1970s as the Southern Regional Director of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents. More recent roles include serving on the National Entomological Board, the Academic Program Section of the Board of Agriculture Assembly, American Public and Land-Grant Universities, and as president of the American Association for Agricultural Education, where she is a Senior Fellow. A native of Damascus (Faulkner County), Graham earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Arkansas and a PhD from the University of Maryland.