Biography

Benjamin Gray was born and raised in Greensboro, NC USA. As a child, he grew up on a small family farm being exposed to many of the processes that take place in agriculture, but at a small scale. His father was a Dean at a local college which left many of the day to day responsibilities of running our small operation up to me. By doing so, I developed a strong work ethic and a passion for the land and local community environment. I had to learn how to fix and repair our machinery whenever we would have breakdowns. I was not necessarily that mechanically inclined, but my father was a certified mechanical engineer which he taught me a lot of the basics that I still apply today. After completing high school, I attended both North Carolina A/T State University and received my undergraduate degree in Agriculture business. I then transferred to NC State University in Raleigh, NC and entered into the Rural Sociology program where I developed a strong fondness of the for the community and people who make up the community. I graduated in 1994 with a MS degree in Sociology and in 2000, with a degree in Rural Sociology. Since that time, I have taught at NC A&T College of Agriculture all of the rural sociology-related courses, along with the research methodology courses both, at the undergraduate and graduate level. I have been affiliated in academia for over 28 years. Currently serve as professor of rural sociology for undergraduate and graduate students at North Carolina A&T State University

Research Interest

Professor Benjamin Gray 's research program involves: social organization of agriculture (graduate class on campus and online), principles of rural sociology, sociology of development, economic geography, agricultural economics, agri-business management