Texas Tech University will host more than 40 colleges and their students at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference on April 3-5, university officials announced today (Aug. 7). Some 800 Students from across the nation will compete in 13 different contests to establish who walks away with the professional society's top prizes.

Nineteen four-year division schools competed and 21 two-year division schools competed in last year's competitions, which featured four-year and two-year division sweepstakes, said Cindy Akers, Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resource Associate Dean for Academic and Student Programs.

NACTA focuses on the personal and professional development of members through education and building relationships, she said. Students will compete in a broad spectrum of contests, including: horse judging, livestock judging, meat judging, horticulture judging, soil judging, crops judging, dairy judging, quiz bowl, ag communications, ag business, ag mechanics and computer applications.

Serving as the host institution, Texas Tech students are not able to compete in these contests, but they'll be instrumental in the success of implementing each contest, Akers said. In addition to the students, many community volunteers are expected to step forward to make the event a success. Lubbock's Overton Hotel and Conference Center will serve as the host hotel and the location for the conference's banquet.

Among the NACTA honors to be presented are the E. B. Knight Journal Award; Jack Everly Journal Award; Murray Brown NACTA Leadership Award; and Distinguished Educator Award; along with graduate student awards; teacher fellow awards; regional outstanding teacher awards; and the teaching award of excellence.

Texas Tech, which has an enrollment of approximately 32,000 students, is located on 1,850 acres in Lubbock, a city of approximately 230,000 on the Texas High Plains. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech is home to 10 colleges, a school of law, and a graduate school.

Formed in 1955, the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture is a professional society that focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning agriculture and related disciplines at the post-secondary level. NACTA members are from two-year and four-year colleges, public and private. The 2014 NACTA Judging Conference will be hosted by Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Cindy Akers, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Programs, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or cindy.akers@ttu.edu

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