​Professor Loy Van Crowder is a Faculty Member in the ​Department of Agriculture, Leadership, and Community Education (ALCE) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Dr. Van Crowder holds a PhD in Adult, Extension, and Continuing Education from Cornell University, NY, USA.  

He joined ALCE as a full-time professor in August 2021, bringing over 30 years of experience in international development projects.

​Academic Background:

• Ph.D. in Adult, Extension, and Continuing Education: Cornell University, Department of Education, 1990.
• Master of Professional Studies: Cornell University, Department of Communication, 1976.
• B.S. in Agriculture: Cornell University, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, 1974.

Professional Experience: Prior to his current role, Dr. Crowder served as the Executive Director for Virginia Tech’s Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED). In this capacity, he developed and managed university-implemented, donor-funded projects across various countries, including Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Armenia, Afghanistan, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Dr. Crowder's extensive career includes positions such as:

• Agricultural Technology Generation and Transfer Specialist: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bolivia.
• Associate Director, International Programs in Agriculture: University of Florida, where he was also a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Communication and Education.
• Project Manager: InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Jamaica, overseeing a USAID-funded hillside agriculture project.
• Senior Officer, Rural Extension Systems & Development Communications: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy.
• FAO Representative in Nicaragua: Focused on improving small-farm agricultural productivity and household food security.
• Senior Director: Millennium Challenge Corporation (State Department), managing a $400 million portfolio of education, health, and community development projects.

Research Interests: Dr. Crowder's research focuses on human and institutional capacity development (HICD), agricultural knowledge and information systems (AKIS), and communication for development and social change (CDSC). His current research interests include:

• Application of CDSC to agricultural/rural development and environmental issues.
• Linkages among agricultural research and extension systems in North America.
• Agricultural sector recovery in conflict- and shock-prone countries.
• Youth workforce development and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
• Community-driven development (CDD) through enhanced community participation.

Selected Publications: Dr. Crowder has authored numerous publications, including:

• "Extension for Profit: Agents and Sharecropping in the Highlands of Ecuador," published in Human Organization, 1991.
• "Education for Sustainable Rural Development: Challenges for Developing Countries in the 21st Century," in The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 1998.
• "Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Key Nexus for Corporate Partnership," in Knowledge & Innovation Network (KIN), 2015.