I grew up on a small farm and have always been interested in food and agriculture. I also love people. This job provides the opportunity for me to work with people in the academic and experiential context of both.
Robert “Bob” Williams, Ph.D. Graduate Coordinator/Mayo Professor of Agriculture, Food and Family
- Alum
- Faculty
He hungers to know more about food. A native of Sulphur Bluff, Texas, Bob Williams studies food from farm to fork. What we eat and how we eat it is rooted in our history, geography and traditions. Farmers face economic, social and natural challenges that affect our food availability and accessibility. By studying the past, Williams brings these concerns to the present reality. But the conversation doesn’t end there. For Williams, studying food is more than acquiring knowledge. It's about tasting and seeing. Our Twin Oaks Farm at A&M-Commerce lets him do so. A university-owned and student-operated farm, Twin Oaks brings the classroom to the soil and fields. Farming takes time. But for the farmer, the joy starts in the ground, long before it reaches our dinner table.
A Conversation with Dr. Williams
Tell us about an academic project you are working on or recently completed.
Over the past three years, I have begun to teach more food-related courses. We now offer a Food Studies minor and a new Agriculture, Food and Family option in Agricultural Science and Technology that allows students to prepare for a career as a middle or high school Family and Consumer Sciences teacher or extension agent. I am really excited about this new direction and encourage prospective students to check it out.
How has A&M-Commerce influenced your life and/or career?
I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degree here back when we were known as East Texas State University. I lived and worked on the university farm, ate in the cafeteria and engaged in several campus organizations and activities. Those experiences and degrees help me launch and advance my career as an educator. Now I am back on campus helping students like my professors and mentors did when I was attending here.
What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?
This is a great university to attend. It will change your life and open doors for you that you may never have known existed. I know because I have two degrees from A&M-Commerce and two daughters with degrees from here. Another daughter works here.
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Texas Tech University, 2000
- M.S., Agriculture, East Texas State University, 1981
- B.S., Agricultural Education, East Texas State University, 1977
Academic Positions
- Professor, Agricultural Sciences, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2015-Present
- Interim Associate Director, School of Agriculture, TAMUC, 2014-2015
- Associate Professor, Agricultural Sciences, TAMUC, 2009-2014
- Assistant Professor, Agricultural Sciences, TAMUC, 2002-2009
- Interim Department Head, Agricultural Sciences, TAMUC, 2001-2002
- Assistant Professor, Agricultural Science & Technology, TAMUC, 2000-2001
- Ad Interim Instructor, Agricultural Sciences, TAMUC, 1999-2000
Awards and Honors
- Mayo Professorship Award, A&M-Commerce, 2023
- Investigator of the Year, A&M-Commerce, 2015
- Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators, The Texas A&M University System, 2014
- Thirty-Year Service Award, Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas, 2013
- Trezzie Pressley “Ceaseless Industry” Award, TAMUC Faculty Senate, 2012
Professional Organizations
- American Association for Agricultural Education
- American Horticultural Society
- North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture
- Southern Rural Sociological Association
- Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas
Research Funding
- $250,645, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, 2014
- $849,686, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, 2010
Selected Publications
Related News
Williams Honored with Mayo Professorship
Texas A&M University-Commerce Professor Dr. Robert “Bob” Williams was honored as the university’s 2023 Mayo Professor. The Mayo Professorship is the ultimate award bestowed by the university, and is given every three years to full professors who exemplify the spirit of founder William L. Mayo: “ceaseless industry, fearless investigation, unfettered thought and unselfish service to […]
Atmos Energy Presents $35,000 Gift to Launch Community Gardens Program at TAMUC
Atmos Energy and Texas A&M University-Commerce are digging into an exciting new gardening program to benefit Northeast Texas schools and communities. Atmos Energy presented a $35,000 check to university representatives on February 11 to kick-start the initiative. The program, dubbed “Lion Gardeners on the Go,” will help schools and communities establish fruit, vegetable and pollinator […]
A&M-Commerce Faculty Receives $30,000 Grant for Urban Agriculture Educational Development
Dr. Robert “Bob” Williams, Professor of Agriculture, Food & Family at Texas A&M University-Commerce, is the recent recipient of a $30,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to assist in the development of education in the field of urban agriculture. A three-person research team of Williams, Dr. Doug LaVergne, associate professor and associate […]
A&M-Commerce Offering New Degree in Sustainable Agriculture
In 2020, Texas A&M University-Commerce received approval from the Texas A&M University System and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to begin offering a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. This makes A&M-Commerce only the second university in the state of Texas to offer an undergraduate degree in sustainable agriculture. The degree […]