by Rachel Waggie, agricultural education and communication master’s student
In the spring 2019 agricultural communications capstone class, teams of two paired with alumni clients to create a strategic communication plan related to a work project of their client. Students worked with Jesse McCurry (’00), Kansas Grain Sorghum; Robin Kleine (’12), Focus Marketing Group; Nicole Crosson (’13), Wyandotte County 4-H youth development extension agent; Jessica Bowser (’03), USDA rural development; and Maggie Seiler (’15), Hoard’s Dairyman.
“This class brought together all of the elements that I learned about throughout my collegiate career,” spring graduate MiK Fox says. “Delving into the background about a company or campaign, unpacking problems and possible solutions and learning the various strategies and tactics necessary for the creation of a campaign that encompassed all of the qualities needed for a successful campaign will help me in my future. Being able to see the real world implications throughout the class has helped to bring what I learned in the classroom into fruition in the real world.”
“The class helped them think critically and strategically about audience analysis and modes of communication,” Dr. Katie Burke remarks. “The alumni were great to work with, too!”
Congratulations to the fall 2018 Agriculturist editorial staff on being awarded top student publication at the National Agricultural Alumni Development Association competition in Louisiana June 10-13. View the publication here.
by Rachel Waggie, agricultural education and communication master’s student
The Department of Communications and Agricultural Education graduated 29 undergraduates and 10 master’s students this spring. Agricultural communications spring class of 2019 includes Danielle Comstock, Bryanna Cook, MiK Fox, Leah Giess, Megan Green, Kyler Langvardt, Janelle Marney, Taylor Belle Matheny, Ashley McKenny, Sarah Moyer, Tarra Rotstein, Kelly Schrag and Kennedy St. George.
Agricultural education graduates include Rachel Bellar, Moriah Cobb, Sydney Cullison, Allyson Dorrell, Cassandra Ebert, Hannah Fry, Christina Hoffman, Caroline Howsden, Trent Johnson, Eric Koehlmoos, Ashley Lauinger, Savannah Pryor, Matthew Schick, Meghan Strassburg, Melissa Strassburg and Caitlyn Thompson.
Students graduating with a Master of Science in Agricultural Education and Communication include Mariah Bausch, Chelsea Bowen Whittle, Darcie Gallagher, Ernest Jones, Laura Miller, Deanna Reid, Kelsey Tully, Anna Williamson, Lauren Worley and Anissa Zagonel.
Congratulations, graduates! We are proud of you and wish you the best of luck.
by Rachel Waggie, agricultural education and communication master’s student
To support the Cats’ Cupboard philanthropy, the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and AgEd clubs hosted a pancake feed on Tuesday, May 14.
The event served as a great break from the stress of finals, and breakfast smells wafted down the hall of the third floor of Umberger Hall. Club members prepared and served pancakes, sausage, fruit and juice to students, faculty and staff.
A non-perishable food item or hygiene product served as a ticket to the delicious breakfast. Thirty people attended the breakfast and more than 200 items and $20 were collected for Cats’ Cupboard. This was the first time ACT and AgEd clubs hosted the event. Both clubs hope to continue this fundraiser, said Janae McKinney, incoming ACT president.
Cats’ Cupboard is open to all K-State students, faculty and staff. The on-campus food pantry encourages students to take food, hygiene and cooking equipment that correspond with their personal needs. Students and staff may use the pantry as often as necessary.
By Deanna Reid, agricultural education and communication master’s student
Students learn about wind energy at Cloud Community College.
AGED 212 emerging agricultural technology, a new agricultural education class, allows students to explore topics that can be covered in the power structural technical systems pathway in an agricultural education program. As part of the class, students participate in tours and hands-on learning around the state. This semester, students have learned about new the K-State Polytechnic unmanned aerial systems program, alternative energy at Cloud County Community College, the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at K-State, and more.
Students tour the K-State Polytechnic campus in Wildcat style.
Through these tours, they learned about the use of drones, wind, and solar technology in agriculture and agricultural education, discovered postsecondary education and career options, and explored teaching methods for new technology concepts.
Monte Poersch at Cloud County Community College hosted the AGED 212 class and explained alternative energy. Students were introduced to career opportunities in wind and solar and many ways to teach those concepts in agricultural education classes.
Monte Poersch explains alternative energy sources.
The class also toured the biological and agricultural engineering program at K-State where Dr. Stacy Hutchinson described and demonstrated integrated systems management in agriculture. The education students were challenged to teach their students how to solve agricultural challenges of the future.
Dr. Stacy Hutchinson tells students about the biodiversity and agricultural engineering program at K-State.
By Deanna Reid, agricultural education and communication master’s student
MANRRS students enjoy science-based learning.
K-State agricultural education students helped with the 34th Annual National Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Conference in Overland Park on April 6. K-State agricultural education students facilitated workshops to teach high school students from across the country about renewable energy, biotechnology, food science, soil conservation, and plant and animal science.
About the event, Jon Ulmer stated,
K-State junior Matthew Milholm teaches during the 34th annual conference.
“We want to thank K-State MANRRS, Compass Minerals, and Zelia Wiley for giving our students the opportunity to teach Jr. MANRRS members about agriculture at their national conference.” MANRRS promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in the fields of agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences.
High school students learn from Casey Ballard and Matthew Milholm, juniors K-State agricultural education.
By Deanna Reid, agricultural education and communication master’s student
Ms. Kane helps agricultural education club members critique submissions.
The Agricultural Education Club had an opportunity to serve Kansas FFA members by providing feedback for high school state Agricultural Proficiency Award winners in preparation for the national competition. Based on supervised agricultural experience programs, proficiency awards recognize students who have developed skills they can apply to future agricultural careers.
Award areas include: entrepreneurship, placement, combined, and agriscience research. Though critiquing award applications, K-State agricultural education students were able to help potential students and use the experience as a learning opportunity for future teaching. Thirty K-State undergraduate students evaluated nearly 40 applications that were submitted.
Agricultural education students provide feedback for FFA Proficiency Award contestants.
Abby Goins, an agricultural education major, stated, “This opportunity was special and unique. As someone unfamiliar with the proficiency award program, it helped me to understand what students learn and what is involved. It was a really great opportunity!”
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.
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.
