Professor Emeritus David M. Kohl served the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics from 1978 until his retirement in 2003.

He taught over 10,000 students in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Agricultural Financial Management, Farm Business Management, Agribusiness Management, and Agricultural Management and Problem Solving.

Kohl’s Extension work had a national and international focus on agri-lender, agribusiness, and producer education in finance, business management, and strategic management of small and mid-size agricultural and rural enterprises. Kohl’s applied research centered on marketing and business development of agricultural loans, agricultural credit scoring systems, and inter-generational transfer of small business enterprises. His recent work has focused on analyzing best management practices for optimum agricultural business performance and examining enhanced productivity levels in online and blended training for agricultural lenders. Kohl has published over 1,500 articles in academic journals, in the popular press, and through Extension. His peers and the industry have recognized him with 11 major teaching awards and 18 public service and Extension awards. He is a two-time recipient of the prestigious American Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Teaching Award. Kohl is one of only five professors to receive the award twice.