We have a series of projects focuses on understanding how consumers perceive and respond to beef-related communication. Through experimental research, audience segmentation, and message framing analysis, our team has explored the trust, values, and informational needs that influence consumer attitudes toward beef nutrition, sustainability, and production practices. These findings equip industry leaders and communicators with data-driven strategies to design targeted, credible, and effective outreach, empowering consumers to make confident, informed decisions about beef.
Projects
At CATT, we’re advancing the future of agricultural and natural resources communication through innovative, data-driven research. Our projects span topics like sustainability, public perception, science communication, and behavior change, each designed to generate real-world impact across the supply chain and within communities. Explore our current initiatives to see how we’re shaping conversations and empowering stakeholders through the power of social science.
Cultivating Undergraduate Social Science Researchers
This USDA Higher Education Challenge grant, "Creating Curriculum to Instill a Research
Skillset in Agricultural Communication Undergraduate Students," supports the development
of a dynamic cohort of undergraduate researchers focused on the social sciences, providing
hands-on experience in designing and conducting impactful research. As part of the
initiative, we are creating an interactive, online toolkit that equips students with
essential skills in research design, analysis, and communication. This toolkit will
be tested and refined through real-world application by the cohort, fostering innovation,
collaboration, and future research in agriculture and natural resources.
Our online toolkit is coming soon!
Connecting with Today’s Beef Consumers
Diminishing the Risk: Exploring Wildfire Mitigation and Trust toward the USFS
The US Forest Service Project investigates how residents in New Mexico’s high-priority
firesheds perceive U.S. Forest Service wildfire mitigation efforts. Centered in the
Enchanted Circle region of northern New Mexico, the study uses focus groups, Q methodology,
and social media monitoring to uncover trust dynamics, communication preferences,
and public sentiment. The findings will inform more effective, community-centered
wildfire outreach and policy engagement strategies.
iVisit: Take a Trip without Leaving your Seat
The iVisit Project transforms how students and educators engage with food and agricultural
sciences by delivering immersive, interactive virtual tours of real-world facilities.
With strategic support from Texas Tech University, Kansas State University, and the
University of Florida, this initiative combines 3-D spatial scanning, multimedia-enhanced
modules, and classroom-ready curriculum to empower learners with enhanced exposure,
literacy, and career insight.
Visit theivisitproject.com for more information.
Rancher Realities: Perceptions of Sustainability in the Beef Industry
This project supported by NCBA, a contractor the Beef Checkoff, focuses on understanding cattle producers views toward sustainability. Through a multi-phase, mixed-methods approach, including quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and advanced message testing, we uncovered the motivations, barriers, and communication preferences that shape producers’ willingness to adopt sustainable practices. The findings empower industry leaders and communicators with data-driven strategies to craft impactful, tailored messages that accelerate progress toward environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Sustainable Cotton Starts Here: Listening to Farmers, Buyers, and Brands
This USDA AFRI-funded project investigates perceptions of sustainable cotton across the entire supply chain, from producers to consumers to major brands. By comparing these perspectives, we aim to identify key gaps, align priorities, and reveal opportunities for communication and behavior change. The findings will inform the development of data-driven marketing incentives that encourage sustainable cotton production and purchasing at every level of the supply chain.
Center for Agriscience Communications at Texas Tech
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Address
Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, Box 42131, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.2816 -
Email
laura.fischer@ttu.edu