Finishing His Marathon

By Maggie Elliot

Dr. Erik Anderson, extension professor of the department of Agricultural and Extension Education will retire in May after a career characterized by the relentless ability to seize opportunities to grow his aptitudes and ultimately contribute to the advancement of extension education and distance learning programs.

Dr. Anderson has always sought new adventures to refine his talents or learn new skills. He’s worked in video production at South Dakota State University, performed cable operations in Boise, and served as both a Distance Learning and Communication specialist for CALS. Within his role as extension professor, Dr. Anderson has worked as an advocate for online and distance education, and aided faculty in disseminating research.

A California native nurturing a fascination for film and video, Dr. Anderson was drawn to the scenic beauty of the Pacific Northwest and studied telecommunications at the University of Idaho as an undergraduate.

 “When I was a teenager we moved from Oakland to Los Angeles, and I didn’t care for the urban area. I knew big Hollywood wasn’t for me.” He decided to explore other avenues of video production, and when he was offered a summer internship with the College of Agriculture, he took it on a whim. In this role he worked to publicize agricultural research, and soon realized the potential film held for educational and outreach approaches. He found he could harness his innate curiosity to learn and convey complex scientific topics by preparing videos and utilizing other communication strategies to appeal to a public audience.

Although Dr. Anderson may not have extensive technical expertise in one research area, his insight as a communication specialist has been instrumental in the effective dissemination of research.

“I’m a generalist, and see myself as a moderator between the researcher and audience, helping to expose expertise. The work our faculty produces is incredible, and deserves to be brought to the public eye.”

Dr. Anderson has served as an advocate for distance learning, opening the door for a broader reaching educational system. One of his roles at the university has been to advise faculty in creating quality online courses. “Online classes necessitate a different approach to teaching,” said Dr. Anderson. “I often say preparing an online class is more similar to writing a book rather than organizing a traditional lecture.”

As a distance education specialist, he has been a proponent of integrating videos of different locations in classrooms. “So much has changed in video since I started,” Dr. Anderson said. “Today the quality of is phenomenal and it’s relatively user friendly, which translates to an abundance of benefits for students.”

Not only has Dr. Anderson sought to modernize educational platforms for students, but also for extension agents. “Extension in the U.S. has such a unique structure. While it responds quickly to the needs of a community, it is rather slow to adapt to technology.” His work to advance extension education into the modern age is a personal achievement close to his heart.

Throughout his 28 years of service at the University of Idaho, Dr. Anderson has navigated the technologically evolving field of video production, adapting education methods to maximize student learning and communication strategies to resonate with the public.

“I think of retirement like commencement. It’s the start of something new, a different adventure.”