Stephen M. McBride, Ph.D. Director of Career Development
Contact Information
Biography
Dr. Stephen McBride is the Director of Career Development at the University of Tennessee Southern, where he supports the academic and professional development of all students. Dr. McBride designs and facilitates programming on topics such as career planning, academic success, and networking. He also collaborates with faculty, staff, and external partners to create and implement initiatives that enhance the quality and impact of student development.
Prior to UT Southern, Dr. McBride was the Assistant Director of Graduate Student Success for the College of Engineering at Purdue University. Before going back to graduate school, he had been an auto, home, and life insurance agent in Franklin County, Tennessee. Actively involved in the agricultural industry, Dr. McBride grew up on a cattle farm and was a state and national FFA officer.
Visit the Office of Career Development website for more resources and information!
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication, Purdue University
Master of Science (M.S.) in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Agricultural Business: Farm & Ranch Management, University of Tennessee at Martin
Publications
McBride, S. M., Esters, L. T., & Talbert, B. A. (2025). Under the microscope: Exploring the workplace embeddedness of young black professionals in agriculture, food, and natural resources careers. Journal of Agricultural Education, 66(1), Article 46. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v66i1.2898
McBride, S. M. (2023) Exploring the embeddedness of young Black professionals in agriculture, food, and natural resources careers [Doctoral dissertation, Purdue University]. Hammer Research Repository. https://doi.org/10.25394/PGS.24796725.v1
McBride, S. M., Talbert, B. A., & Mackey, S. (2023). Involvement of urban agricultural education students in FFA activities and opportunities. Journal of Agricultural Education, 64(2), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v64i2.57
McDermott, J. E., Lee, S., Parshall, N., McBride, S. M., & Karr, E. A. (2022). Developing a new partnership between universities focused on supporting minority graduate students in engineering. National Academy of Engineering. https://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=285963&v=87d70fb1
McBride, S. M., & Talbert, B. A. (2022). Openness and preparedness of senior FFA members toward technology in agriculture. Journal of Agricultural Education, 63(1), 98–114. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.01098
McBride, S., Walker, D., Roberts, J., & Mehlhorn, J. (2017). Qualities and attributes of successful veterinary school applicants. Journal of Education and Training, 4(2), 97-106. https://doi.org/10.5296/jet.v4i2.11753
Awards
College of Engineering New Employee Excellence Award; Purdue University, 2022
Outstanding Research Poster Award; North Central AAAE Conference, 2021
4-H Alumni of the Year; Coffee County 4-H, 2018
Soaring Eagle Award for New Agent Achievement; Farm Bureau Insurance, 2017
National Runner-Up, Prepared Public Speaking; National FFA Organization, 2011