Edwards coordinates all undergraduate and graduate teaching activities in the department. This involves class schedules, course assignments, teaching responsibilities and graduate student teaching assignments for courses in animal and dairy sciences. As graduate coordinator, he approves petitions, proposals, theses and dissertations for graduate students. He also coordinates student internships at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and performs numerous other research and administrative tasks.

Before joining the faculty at Texas A&M University in 1978, Edwards was an associate professor at Auburn University, an associate professor and Extension specialist at the University of Kentucky and an instructor and judging team coach at Oklahoma State University. While at Texas A&M, he has taught numerous courses and has served as assistant and associate department head, a position he has held since 1987.

Edwards has received outstanding teaching awards from Auburn University and Alpha Gamma Rho at Texas A&M University. He received the Outstanding Diplomacy Award from the Kenya Students Association in 1985 for his work with international students and the Vice Chancellor's Award in Excellence for student Counseling and Relations in 1997, and was awarded the Advanced Degree Graduate of Distinction Award from Oklahoma State University in 2004.

Professional memberships include the American Society of Animal Science, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta and Phi Kappa Phi.