Vincennes University College of Business and Public Service Dean named 2026 Indiana Master Farmer

Vincennes University is celebrating a major accolade as Susan Brocksmith, Dean of the College of Business and Public Service, has been honored as a 2026 Indiana Master Farmer by Indiana Prairie Farmer and Farm Progress.

VU Provost Jaci Lederman said, “Vincennes University extends its highest congratulations to Dean Susan Brocksmith on receiving this honor. This award shows that VU students learn from experienced industry experts in the state. Her leadership reflects VU’s commitment to academic excellence and hands-on faculty mentorship.”

The Indiana Master Farmer award honors farmers and agribusiness professionals who display passion, drive, and an outstanding work ethic. Nominees are judged on farming accomplishments, care of natural resources, and community involvement.

For Brocksmith, this distinction confirms her lifelong commitment to agribusiness education, sustainable agriculture, and industry advocacy, and reflects the tremendous leadership she brings to VU.

As an agribusiness professor, Brocksmith often welcomed VU students to her nearby soybean and corn farm for hands-on, real-world learning experiences, including looking at cover crops, assessing yields, and learning to identify weeds.

Brocksmith said, “Receiving this honor is incredibly meaningful to me. Following in the footsteps of my grandfather, Ernest Miller, who was honored as an Indiana Master Farmer in 1968, my father-in-law, Paul Brocksmith, in 1996, and my husband, Mike Brocksmith, in 2004, is a true privilege. This honor recognizes generations of shared passion, hard work, and stewardship of the land, and a special legacy of agricultural excellence that I am incredibly proud to share with my family and Vincennes University students, faculty, staff, and alumni."

Read her 2026 Indiana Master Farmer story: Susan Brocksmith uses farm as teaching tool