Matthew “Matt”) M. Mars, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Agricultural Leadershiand Innovation and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Agricultural Education at The University of Arizona. He is also a Fellow in the Cardon Academy of Teaching Excellence in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Dr. Mars teaches undergraduate and graduate courses relevant to social innovation, entrepreneurial leadership, and agricultural development in both rural and urban communities. His research agenda generally aims to identify new insights on and develoa deeper understanding of the educational and organizational factors and dynamics that foster agricultural and community development. His research is notably interdisciplinary with collaborations that intersect communication, ecology, and marketing. The topical areas of interest that Dr. Mars is currently focusing on include: the system-level work i.e. institutional entrepreneurship) associated with local food system development, the organizational ecosystem metaphor, and the socialization and professional development of women graduate students in the agricultural and STEM disciplines. His research is published in journals such as the Agriculture and Human Values, Higher Education, Journal of Agricultural Education, The Journal of Higher Education, Journal of Management Inquiry, Organizational Dynamics, and the Review of Higher Education. Dr. Mars earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree through the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona.