In January, an agricultural communications and journalism alumni survey was distributed through the alumni Facebook group to gather information about career paths our graduates follow, most valuable skills in agricultural communications and what upcoming graduates need in terms of scientific knowledge. The survey will guide curriculum changes and help faculty better communicate career possibilities with prospective students. Nearly 125 alumni have participated in the survey.
For those who have not yet seen the survey, we would love to hear from you. We plan to share findings from the survey in a future alumni newsletter.
Please use the link below to access the survey. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes and is voluntary and confidential, although we cannot guarantee anonymity due to the nature of some questions.
By Deanna Reid, agricultural education and communication master’s student
Agricultural education student teaching interns spent two days on a corn-focused, high-impact learning experience in eastern Kansas, Feb. 28 to March 1.
Seventeen students and three K-State agricultural education professors traveled with the group. Visits included Midland Genetics, BNSF, East Kansas Agri-Energy, and Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, well as three high school agriculture programs: Ottawa, Spring Hill and Prairie View.
Mr. Lasley showing K-State students new learning spaces at Ottowa High school.
Students learn about safety, efficiency, and finances at BNSF.K-State students learning about relationships and partnerships from Johnson County Extension agents.
Interns learned about corn seed genetics, production and marketing, trains and storage containers, and ethanol. The group also had the opportunity to interact with and learn about each school’s agricultural education programs and teaching methods from current agricultural education teachers and students.
The Kansas Corn Commission sponsored the experience.
Students learning about corn ethanol production at East Kansas Agri-Energy in Garnett, KS.
Levy Randolph has been hired as an assistant professor in agricultural communications and journalism. He will join the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education this summer and begin teaching during the fall semester.
Randolph has degrees from California State University and the University of Florida in agricultural education and communication. He has experience as a conference facilitator for National FFA and owns and operates a video production company with his wife, Tiffany. He has taught multiple media production courses and business writing. His research agenda focuses on science communication through narratives
Randolph’s office will be located on the third floor of Umberger Hall.
Participants listen at the annual CREE Insight Summit. Dr. Lauri M. Baker presents about social media use and analysis.
The Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement hosted its third annual new-media marketing conference, the Insight Summit. The conference featured topics related to new-media marketing, including storytelling across platforms, basic and advanced analytics, social media strategy, visual content, e-newsletters, and selling online.
The 2019 Insight Summit differed from past events by hosting agricultural communicators and researchers from across the country to present recent research to participants. Academic researchers included: Courtney Meyers, faculty at Texas Tech University and 2003 K-State agricultural communications and journalism alumna; Angie Lindsey, faculty at the University of Florida; and Shuyang Qu, faculty at Iowa State University. Graduate student researchers included Deanna Reid, K-State; Levy Randolph, University of Florida; Brittany Bowman, Oklahoma State University; and Maggie Elliot, Texas Tech University.
Attendees of the 2019 Insight Summit.
The center is a unique resource for rural and agricultural businesses because of its interdisciplinary partnership of founders: Lauri M. Baker, agricultural communications and journalism; Cheryl R. Boyer, horticulture; and Hikaru H. Peterson, agricultural economics. CREE is an institutional collaboration between K-State and the University of Minnesota.
Additional team members include Allison Wakefield, intern and current ACJ student, and Mikhayla DeMott, audience engagement specialist and 2017 ACJ alumna.
The Insight Summit, previously known as the New-Media Marketing Boot Camp, was February 12 and 13 at the K-State Alumni Center.
By Deanna Reid, agricultural education and communication master’s student
K-State agricultural education students and faculty attended the annual Kansas Corn and the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators symposiums in January.
The Kansas Corn Symposium celebrated the accomplishments of Kansas Corn and focused on topics including trade, ethanol, and research.
Katelyn Pinkston, Rachel Bellar, and Zachary Callaghan were awarded Kansas Corn Next Generation scholarships funded by the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Corn Commission to provide opportunities for college students of all majors to learn more about the corn industry, explore issues facing agriculture and embrace the ways they can influence the industry through career path choices. Students and faculty also participated in a poster session.
The symposium was on Jan. 23, 2019, at the K-State Alumni Center in Manhattan.
Agricultural education students also received scholarships at the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators (KAAE) Symposium in Dodge City, Kansas, Jan. 24–26, 2019. In addition to new teacher and student intern meetings and tours of local agricultural businesses, Representative Roger Marshall spoke about the farm bill and status of agricultural trade. Seventeen K-State agricultural education students were awarded scholarships, as listed below.
Jim Patry Agricultural Education Scholarship
Katelyn Pinkston
Teach Ag
Zachary Callaghan
Trenton Smedley
Seitz Fundraising
Trent Johnson
Eric Koehlmoos
Matthew Schick
CHS Foundation–Through the Kansas FFA Foundation
Rachel Bellar
Nikole Cain
Hannah Fry
Christina Hoffman
Trent Johnson
Ashley Lauinger
Steven R. Harbstreit/Howard R. Bradley Teacher Education Scholarship–Through the Kansas State University Foundation
Allyson Dorrell
Hofbaurer Scholarship
Eric Koehlmoos
Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators Scholarship–Sponsored by KAAE
Sydney Cullison
Allison Dix
Tim Kennedy
Caitlyn Thompson
Mackenzie Tynon
KAAE, the Kansas FFA Foundation, the Kansas State University Foundation and Seitz Fruit sponsored scholarships for agricultural education students.
By Deanna Reid, agricultural education and communication master’s student
Kelsey Tully, Mariah Bausch, Dr. Lauri M. Baker, and Anissa Zagonel presented research at the 2019 NACS Conference.
Agricultural education and communication graduate students attended the 2019 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (NACS) in Birmingham, Alabama, February 3–4, 2019. Students Anissa Zagonel, Mariah Bausch, and Kelsey Tully along with faculty sponsor Lauri Baker presented papers and posters focused on current research and professional development. Bausch and Baker’s poster titled “Student perspectives of agricultural communications research” won second place in the poster competition. The paper by Rumble, Wu, Tully, Ruth, Ellis, and Lamm titled “A mixed-methods comparison of self-reported and conversational trust in science” placed second among academic paper presentations.
Papers presented included:
Beyond the post: Equine operators’ communication processes for conservation practices
Anissa Zagonel, Lauri Baker, Shelly Ingram, Jon Ulmer, and Joann Kouba, Kansas State University
Student perspectives of agricultural communications undergraduate research
Mariah Bausch and Lauri Baker, Kansas State University
A mixed-methods comparison of self-reported and conversational trust in science
Joy Rumble, Yu Lun Wu, The Ohio State University; Kelsey Tully, Kansas State University; Taylor Ruth, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Jason Ellis, Kansas State University; and Alexa Lamm, University of Georgia
How consumers contrast and assimilate information about agricultural biotechnology
Taylor Ruth, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Joy Rumble, The Ohio State University; Alexa Lamm, University of Georgia; Jason Ellis, Kansas State University
Coauthor network analysis of Journal of Applied Communications articles from 2008 to 2017
Audrey King ’13, ’16 and Quisto Settle, Kansas State University
Professional Development Session presentations included:
What are reviewers looking for?
Quisto Settle, Oklahoma State University; Lauri Baker, Kansas State University
Posters presented included:
Scholarship in action: Student perspectives of undergraduate research in agricultural communications
Mariah Bausch and Lauri Baker, Kansas State University
Communicating through chaos: A quantitative content analysis investigating the prepared responses of articles about zoonotic disease on the CDC and USDA websites
Topanga McBride, Lauri Baker, and Mariah Bausch, Kansas State University; Angela Lindsey, University of Florida
Dr. Lauri M. Baker and Mariah Bausch with their winning research poster.
In January, an agricultural communications and journalism alumni survey was distributed through the alumni Facebook group to gather information about career paths our graduates follow, most valuable skills in agricultural communications and what upcoming graduates need in terms of scientific knowledge. The survey will guide curriculum changes and help faculty better communicate career possibilities with prospective students. Nearly 125 alumni have participated in the survey.
