Laura Fischer, Ph.D.

Dr. Laura Fischer has a unique background that sets her apart in the field of agriculture. Born into a military family, she moved frequently, spending her childhood in rural environments that nurtured her interest in agriculture. From strawberry and cotton fields in southern Virginia to hay farms in central Virginia and a small agricultural village in England, she developed a deep connection to farming. Her family eventually settled in Gainesville, Florida where her passion for animals and aspiration to become a veterinarian flourished. 

This long-term aspiration led her to major in Animal Science at the University of Florida with minors in sales management and agribusiness. During her time as an undergraduate student, she assisted with research at the vet school and, through this first-hand experience, learned attending vet school was not the right path for her. When looking for other opportunities, Fischer found herself landing an intership with Florida 4-H Youth Development that led to a full time hire as Assistant Communications Coordinator. In this position, she felt the need to go to graduate school to gain more skills to elevate her work. 

Returning to her alma mater to get her master's degree in agricultural communications, Fischer assisted in research for the Center for Public Issues Education (PIE Center). Her work focused on addressing challenges in farm-to-school programs, water conservation, and international outreach. When faced with the decision to work in the industry or continue her education, Fischer began exploring Ph.D. programs and got connected with Dr. Courtney Meyers at Texas Tech. After moving to Lubbock, Fischer's doctoral reserach primarily focused on capturing people's attention who were not directly involved in agriculture and how to inform positive perceptions toward the industry. 

Upon graduation, Fischer accepted a job at the University of Kentucky in teaching web, advertising and communication strategy. In this position, she found it interesting to talk to students about agriculture that were not directly involved in the industry. This experience allowed her to use her agricultural research background and make it relevant to different audiences while also being a part of resarch partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) utilizing eye tracking in message testing. After spending some time in Kentucky, she accepted a job in Texas Tech's Department of Agricultural Education and Communications. Her research now focuses on strategic communication for consumer and producer audiences using audience analyses and segmentation methods, then, focusing on how we can develop messages using the best tools for the job like eye tracking, dial testing, framing, and Q-sort methods. 

Dr. Fischer participates in several grant-funded research projects at Texas Tech, including collaborations with the U.S. Forestry Service and Texas Tech's Department of Natural Resource Management to improve wildfire mitigation communication. She is also on a USDA Cotton Sustainability grant with Texas Tech's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, where she is focusing on the producer side of communication by delving into how they perceive incentive programs. Additionally, she is on a USDA Higher Education grant with Ohio State University using hands-on curriculum to teach undergraduate researchers to solve real world problems using social science. Fischer also recently completed a grant funded project with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Beef Checkoff to assess cattle producers' stance on sutainability and develop messages to inspire producers to adopt sustainable pracitces. Furthermore, she is working on a grant regarding the beef aging process with Texas Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences to explore why processors, purveyors, and retailers choose to practice beef aging.