Following the departure of Agriculture department chair and FFA advisor, Mrs. Liz Harris, Dr. Jennifer Earing joined the Community faculty as her replacement. 

Harris left Community after over a decade in the Ag. department to join the teaching staff at Pontiac High School.

Earing brings years of experience in higher education, industry and research to her new role. 

After earning her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and completing her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Kentucky, the new teacher worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Minnesota.

Earring, before entering secondary education, served as a livestock nutritionist for a regional feed company in Tennessee for over five years before returning to Illinois and teaching animal science courses at ISU for eight years.

Earing said she is excited to join an established program with strong student interest.

“I have been very fortunate to come into a really strong program,” Earing said. “There’s already some excitement there and interest… so it’s just building upon what Mrs. Harris left.”

Earing plans to collaborate with fellow ag. teachers Mr. Lewis and Ms. Kenzie Kraft to tailor FFA activities to students’ interests, potentially incorporating agri-science research projects into the curriculum.

“I’m excited just to get in and get to know the students and their interests,” Earing said.