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Agricultural Education Faculty and Students Take Top Honors at Utah Conference
 April 22, 2008
Drs. Steve Fraze, David Doerfert, and Cindy Akers, along with three master’s students and one doctoral student participated in the Western Region Conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education in Park City, UT, April 15-19. The Tech team garnered two research awards at the conference. A paper authored by former M.S. student Karin Fritz and Drs. Todd Brashears, Cindy Akers, Scott Burris, and Christine Alvarado (Associate Professor in Animal and Food Science) won the Outstanding Paper Award. The paper was entitled: iPod Technology in Graduate Agricultural Education and Communications Courses: A Comparison of Adopters and Non-Adopters. A second team of Tech authors was awarded the Outstanding Research Poster Award. This team consisted of Morgan Newsom (M.S. student), Dr. David Doerfert, Jessica Carr (former M.S. student), and Drs. Scott Burris and Matt Baker. The poster was titled: An Exploratory Analysis of the Growing Ruralpolitan Population.

Poster (PDF Format)

Agricultural Educators Recognized in Costa Rica
 April 10, 2008
Dr. David Lawver accompanied six graduate students to EARTH University in Costa Rica to attend the Annual Conference of the Association for International Agriculture and Extension Education (AIAEE) in February. Master’s student Katie Leigh was elected as a Graduate Student Representative to the AIAEE Board of Directors. Leigh is the first graduate student from Tech to serve on the board. She will play a critical role in planning graduate student activities for the 2009 AIAEE conference in Puerto Rico.

A team of two Tech faculty members (Dr. Lawver and Dr. Carlos Villalobos, Associate Professor, Natural Resource Management) and three graduate students (Leigh, Alyx Oshel, and Kyle Pate) received the Second Place Poster Award for their poster entitled “Cost Efficient International Experiences for Graduate Students”. The poster highlighted AGED 5311 (Human Dimensions of International Agricultural Development). With the assistance of Villalobos, Lawver was able to expand the field trip to Chihuahua, Mexico in 2007 to include visits to Camargo (agribusiness), Parral (ranches, silver mines), and Guachochi (saw mill, Sinferosa Canyon). Students also spent time in Creel (Cooper Canyon and the Ejido system of the indigenous Tarahumara people) and Chihuahua City (shopping).

FFA Week News Release
 March 7, 2008
500,823. That is the current number of FFA members in the nation. This year, Texas Tech Collegiate FFA had the opportunity to host the National FFA Secretary, Becky Sullivan. Sullivan is a native of Kansas and is serving as one of the six officers that lead the National FFA Organization. As a national officer, Sullivan travels across the United States and those travels led her to Texas.

In 1947 the National FFA Organization created an event for FFA members across the nation. This weeklong celebration was to happen during the week of George Washington’s birthday and was to simply be called FFA Week. For FFA Week 2008, the Texas Tech Collegiate FFA had the incredible opportunity to host a workshop for Greenhand FFA members in Areas I and II.

Even though Texas Tech Collegiate FFA hosted the leadership workshop, the true star was the Becky Sullivan. The workshop happened at Lubbock-Cooper High School on February 18, and was based on the principles of character becoming a better leader.

Over twenty FFA members were in attendance as Sullivan highlighted the importance of character underneath the surface, and how to develop character. The fast paced workshop was filled with interaction among the students, and linking important leadership and character traits to historical figures.

“I liked the fact that students in this area got to meet a National Officer. Students in this part of Texas don’t usually get this opportunity,” commented Jade Keith. Keith is currently serving as a Texas State FFA Officer.

During her stay in Lubbock, Sullivan also toured the Texas Tech campus, met with various faculty and staff from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and interacted with Texas Tech Collegiate FFA Members. After visiting Lubbock, Sullivan then toured other FFA chapters and universities in celebration of FFA Week.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 500,823 student members – all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture – as part of 7,358 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.

FFA Week News Release Image

Collegiate 4-H Students Host Area 4-H’ers
 Feb 23, 2008
The Texas Tech Collegiate 4-H club hosted it’s very first ever “Game Day with the Lady Raiders” in January 2008. About thirty youth 4-Her’s, parents, and agents from the surrounding area came to participate in the fun filled day.

The day began with several ice breakers to ease the tension between 4-Hers and then lead into a hamburger lunch. A presentation was given by Texas Tech’s Agricultural College’s recruitment team, Agri-Techsans, over the college and degree programs that are offered. The group then met and took pictures with Raider Red, Texas Tech’s mascot. After meeting Raider Red, participants enjoyed a tour of Texas Tech’s beautiful campus. The group of 4-Her’s made signs, and then were off to watch the Lady Raiders defeat Colorado State in the United Spirit Arena.

There were several beneficial purposes for the event. First, it was a way to assist collegiate 4-H in becoming more involved with surrounding youth 4-H clubs from Texas and eastern New Mexico counties. Many of our collegiate 4-H members desire to enter careers as a 4-H agent after graduation from Texas Tech, and this event allowed us to meet a broad number of 4-H youth, parents, volunteers, and agents. The second purpose for our Game Day event was to serve as a fundraiser for our organization, and thirdly, the event acted as an opportunity to recruit students to Texas Tech University.

We began planning for Game Day in August, and it could not have been made possible with local sponsorship from Betenbough Homes, Hugo Reed and Associated, and our local college bookstore, Red and Black. Each participant received a specially designed t-shirt at the event as well. 4-Hers who participated in the event seemed to enjoy the day very much, and our collegiate 4-H club is looking forward to planning a second Game Day next year!

Game Day Picture


PICTURE: Committee members are on the top row, from left to right: Ashley Larkin, Dusty Winkler, Raider Red (Texas Tech’s Mascot), Amy Schwertner, Sara Schwertner, and Joseph Esparza.

Welcome Courtney Meyers
 Feb 8, 2008
The Department of Agricultural Education and Communications at Texas Tech University is very pleased to announce that Courtney Meyers, a doctoral student in the Agricultural Education and Communication Department at the University of Florida, will join our faculty as an assistant professor of agricultural communications on August 1, 2008.  Presently, Courtney is a graduate research assistant with UF’s Scientific Thinking and Educational Partnership Program.  Her dissertation research involves examining the use of a persuasive communication theory to frame news relating to agricultural biotechnology. At Texas Tech, we envision a partnership between Courtney and faculty in our Center for Excellence of Agricultural Genomics & Bioinformatics.  Courtney will teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in agricultural communications.  A native of Kansas, Meyers earned a B.S. in Agricultural Communications in 2003 from Kansas State University and a M.S. in Agricultural Education from the University of Arkansas in 2005.  Please join me in welcoming Courtney to Texas Tech University.

Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Conference

Dallas, Texas

February 2-5, 2008

Texas Tech faculty received a number of awards at the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists (SAAS) Conference in Dallas.  In the Agricultural Education Division, Kimberly Miller of Mission Viejo, California (joint Ed.D. student, Texas Tech and Texas A&M), along with Drs. Theresa Murphrey, Grady Roberts and Julie Harlan of Texas A&M received the First Runner-Up Award for Outstanding Research Presentation for their paper entitled:  “Examining iPod use by Texas Agricultural Science and Technology Teachers.”  Additionally, Brad Davis (Ed.D. TTU/TAMU) of the University of Arkansas 4-H Foundation, along with Drs. Steve Fraze, Cindy Akers, and Norm Hopper from Texas Tech, Dr. Karen Ballard, University of Arkansas, and Drs. Andy Vestal and Barry Boyd, Texas A&M received the Outstanding Journal Award from the Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research.   The article was entitled: “Successful Characteristics of State 4-H Foundation Fundraising.” 

At this same meeting, Dr. Todd Brashears of Texas Tech was elected Alternative Vice President of the region.  Brashears currently serves as editor of the Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research.   Dr. Scott Burris of Texas Tech was elected Vice Chair of the Regional Research Committee.  The Texas Tech conference delegation was involved in two additional paper presentations co-authored by joint Texas Tech and Texas A&M doctoral program graduates (Kim Alexander and Rick Ford) and three posters, one of which was co-authored by joint doctoral program graduate Rene Miller, one by current M.S. student Steele Hogue, and one by former M.S. graduate Laura Lemons of Abilene.

In the SAAS Agricultural Communications conference, future Texas Tech assistant professor, Courtney Meyers, along with fellow University of Florida graduate student Katie Chodil won the Outstanding Graduate Research Paper Presentation Award.  The paper was entitled:  “Feeding the Debate: A Framing Analysis of the News  Media Coverage of Organic Food”.  Meyers and Chodil, along with Dr. Tracy Irani, University of Florida, were recognized with the Outstanding Research Poster Award.  Their poster was entitled:  “Cultivating Communication: Evaluation of an Extension-Produced Home Horticulture Radio Show.”   Three additional research papers were presented by Texas Tech authors.  Lead authors included former M.S. students Moriah Jennings of Lubbock, Kim Cooper of Washington, D.C., and Samantha Yates of Lubbock.

Association for Career and Technical Research Conference

Las Vegas, NV

December 12-13, 2007

Two papers authored by Texas Tech researchers were recognized at the 2007 Association for Career and Technical Research Conference, December 12-13, 2007 in Las Vegas.  In the Research Paper Division, Drs. Steve Fraze and David Doerfert, along with John Rayfield (Ed.D., Texas Tech, 2006) of North Carolina State University, and Kirsten Compton (M.S., Texas Tech, 2005) of San Luis Obispo, California received the Honorable Mention Award for Outstanding Research Presentation for their paper entitled: “Factors that Influence the Decision to Participate in Youth Organizations in Rural High Schools in Three Southern States.”  In the Professional Development Division, Jeanea Lambeth (joint Ed.D. student, Texas Tech/ Texas A&M), Dr. Jack Elliot, University of Arizona, and Dr. Richard Joerger (Office of the Chancellor, Minnesota State College and University System) received Third Place, Outstanding Professional Development Presentation, for their paper entitled: “Research Foci for Career and Technical Education: Preliminary Findings form a National Delphi.”  Texas Tech current and former graduate students and faculty presented four additional papers.  The lead author for two of the papers was M.S. graduate Karin Fritz of Lubbock, current doctoral student Kevin Williams, and Texas Tech/Texas A&M doctoral program graduate Cindy Chaney of Whitesboro, Texas.

Student Profile: Riley Branch
 Fall 2007
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