The NACTA Teaching Award of Excellence is presented to one individual who demonstrates excellence in post-secondary instruction in agriculture. To qualify for the award, a NACTA member must have previously received the NACTA Teacher Fellow Award and currently be on a full-time appointment involving at least 25% teaching. A committee of NACTA members reviews applications. Criteria included in the evaluation are the instructor's teaching philosophy; a statement about the nominee's promotion and enhancement of teaching at the university, state, regional and/or national level; evaluations submitted by current students, alumni, administrative officers, and peers; a self-evaluation as well as factors such as availability to students, teaching innovations, and departmental/institutional activity.
Dr. Foy Mills received the NACTA 2007 Teaching Award of Excellence June 22, 2007, at the 53rd Annual Conference held at the University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. Our congratulations are extended to Dr. Mills.
Foy Mills is Professor of Agribusiness and Chair of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (A&E) at Abilene Christian University. Dr. Mills earned a B.S. in Agriculture Business with honors from Lubbock Christian University in 1980. He completed the M.S. in 1983 and the Ph.D. in 1987 in Agricultural Economics from Texas Tech University.
After serving as Assistant Professor and Extension Ag Economist at the University of Georgia from 1987-89, Dr. Mills joined the ACU faculty in 1989. His initial charge at ACU was total revision of the agribusiness program. Full implementation occurred in 1994. In 2001-2002, he led A&E through a visioning process resulting in Project 2012, a ten-year plan to revitalize the department.
Dr. Mills has received several teaching and advising awards at ACU. Two of these awards include ACU College of Natural and Applied Sciences Outstanding Professor in 1991 and ACU Outstanding Faculty Advisor for 2001-2002.
Dr. Mills has been an active member of NACTA since 1989. Named a NACTA Teacher Fellow and the Southern Region Outstanding Teacher in 1997, he also received the NACTA John Deere Award in 1998. He has presented selected and invited papers at several NACTA conferences. He served on the journal publication committee and is currently a member of the Teacher Recognition Committee and serves as Southern Region Director.
Dr. Mills and his wife, Mitzi, who is a residential building contractor in Abilene, have two adult daughters, one who is married and one grandson.
