Emeritus professor
University of Missouri
Brady J. Deaton was chancellor of the University of Missouri from 2004-2013 and now serves in emeritus status and as director of MU’s Deaton Institute for University Leadership in International Development. He was appointed chair of the board for International Food and Agricultural Development by President Obama in 2011 and reappointed in 2012 for a four-year term.
He attended the University of Kentucky for a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a master of arts degree in diplomacy and international commerce. Deaton later earned his master's of science and doctorate degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, where he taught vocational agriculture in the Thai language.
Deaton began his academic career as a faculty member in agricultural economics at the University of Tennessee. During this time, he was appointed as staff director of the Special Task Force on Food for Peace for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. He is a recipient of the Malone Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities for furthering international education in public higher education, was a member of the board of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center throughout his time as Chancellor, and served on the International Committee of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Deaton also served as a "Distinguished Guest in Residence" at New York University.