A Professor’s Props: We peek into Professor Jason de Koff’s office to spot his drones, awards, and children’s art

Professor Dr. Jason de Koff puts together one of the many drones that he stores in his office for his DRONE program. Dr. de Koff teaches farmers how to use drones on their farms.

Extension Associate Professor and Program Leader Jason de Koff is known on campus for a variety of things. He is an excellent communicator having won a slew of awards in that area. His research in bioenergy crop production working with switchgrass and canola has helped determine those cultivars that perform best in Tennessee.

Most recently, his attention and energy has been focused on establishing the College’s aptly named DRONE program (Developing Relevant Opportunities for Novel Experiences). Since his work has begun in the area, his office has become “drone headquarters.”

But it is also a haven for his daughters’ artwork, and though the girls have no knowledge of the heyday of hippiedom, their work reflects a natural bent toward bohemian influences. Their scientist dad is all right with that.

Dr. de Koff’s desk is decorated with numerous selections of artwork created by his two daughters Tegan and Maize.

Dr. de Koff has been given gifts (below) by his students that provide an Asian flair and calming essence to his always busy office. The metal farmers (bottom right) were made in Punjab India and were a gift from one of his award-winning Master’s Student.

Dr. de Koff, who earned Communicator of the Year in 2020 for the second time from the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and Specialists, has flourished in his communication skills creating videos, fact sheets, website pages, flyers, brochures and other tools to share information about all of the research that he is working on.

“The pandemic compelled me,” he said. “We were not doing a lot of traveling.”

He worked on training sessions about drones for farmers and one project led to the next and soon Dr. de Koff was recognized for his work on a computer-generated presentation, a feature story, and he became a national finalist for the creation of a fact sheet.

Above is just one of Dr. de Koff’s office walls filled with honors and awards earned over the years. Space is limited, however, and so many of his plaques are stacked in piles on his desk, file cabinets, and book cases. Bottom right are just some of the many drones in cases stored in Dr. de Koff’s office that he uses for his DRONE program.

Above is a photo of Dr. de Koff’s daughters. Tegan (left) is 12 and Maize 8. Dr. de Koff also has comic book covers like the one to the left hanging on his wall. We won’t mention his Star Wars lunch box that he carries. The light-heartedness lends a bit of frivolity to a man who is known for his industriousness.