Demikia Taylor

M.S., Agricultural Education, North Carolina A & T State University – 2015

B.S., Laboratory Animal Science, North Carolina A & T State University – 2009

Demikia graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in 2009 with a B.S. in Laboratory Animal Science. Following her degree, she gained valuable experience working in comparative medicine. She then pursued an M.S. in Agricultural Education from North Carolina A&T State University while teaching high school agriculture, specializing in Veterinary Sciences, Large Animal, and Companion Animal Sciences.

During her teaching career, Demikia successfully transformed a single-instructor program into a multi-educator initiative, increasing the demand for agriculture courses. She developed a rigorous curriculum that highlighted experiential learning opportunities and promoted critical thinking. With much success, she established the Academy for Pre-Veterinary Medicine and Plant Sciences, which received recognition across the school district and state for the accomplishments of its students.

Demikia is passionate about training teachers in underrepresented and under-resourced communities to develop and sustain successful School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) programs. She strives for educators to find their voice and agency in supporting their programs and students. With a teaching career that spanned over 12 years, she decided to further this mission and build upon her experience by pursuing a Ph.D. in Agricultural Leadership and Community Education at Virginia Tech, with an expected completion date of Spring 2026.

• Agriculture teacher advocacy and agency
• Educational Policy
• Transdisciplinary skill development in Higher Education
• Program Development

Taylor, D., Drape, T., Pruden, A., Krometis, L., Schenk, T. (2025). Research to praxis: Transdisciplinary skill development in graduate education [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education