Message from Gary Pierzynski, Department Head
To no one’s surprise, perhaps, Agronomy remains a popular major for undergraduates at K-State. Fall enrollment numbers have held about steady for the past three years. They have more than doubled since 2007!
I believe there are several reasons for the strength in our enrollment numbers:
- First is the outstanding success our graduates have had in the job market, with nearly 100% placement for many years at very competitive starting salaries.
- The agriculture economy has been strong and our students have benefited through a large selection of professional career opportunities.
- The outstanding undergraduate and graduate student experience that we offer to our students. This includes a strong commitment to activities such as our competition teams, undergraduate research experiences, and professional development opportunities beyond what takes place in the classroom. A recent alumni survey verified that such activities were beneficial in career preparation.
Looking to the future, while the agriculture economy has cooled a bit recently, demand for our agricultural products will continue to grow with world population and this will sustain a consistent supply of professional opportunities for our graduates. We will continue to aggressively recruit to meet that demand.
Agronomy is a great profession for students from any background. Our commitment to an outstanding student experience will also continue as we strive to produce the best graduates possible for our employers. We are in the process of getting approval to offer a Precision Agriculture option in the Agronomy major and anticipate this will be a popular choice for our students beginning Fall 2016.
We appreciate the support of our alumni and that you are all providing outstanding representation of K-State in our profession!
And remember to follow us on Twitter to keep updated daily on our most current agronomic information and departmental activities: www.twitter.com/KStateAgron
