Allie Herring, a Texas Tech University senior agricultural communications major from Franklin, Texas, was presented the prestigious Livestock Publications Council’s 2024 Forrest Bassford Award earlier this month at the national Ag Media Summit in Kansas City, Missouri. Hannah Hudgens of Lubbock and Ryan Hess of Stephenville were also named as finalists for the award, resulting in Texas Tech agricultural communications students making up three of the four finalists for the national award.
The Forrest Bassford Award recognizes and rewards excellence, leadership and encourages professionalism among students, and provides the recipient face-to-face exchanges with leaders in livestock publishing and the agricultural communications industry. Herring received a $2,000 scholarship and finalists Hudgens and Hess were awarded travel stipends to Ag Media Summit.
“Receiving the Forrest Bassford Student Award is an incredible honor, and it makes me feel even more certain that the agricultural communications program at Texas Tech is exactly where I was meant to study,” Herring said. “Over the past three years, my professors and peers have challenged me to grow, and this award reflects of all our efforts, not just mine.”
This marks the second year in a row a Texas Tech student has won the Forrest Bassford Award. Carlye Winfrey (BS ‘23) was the recipient in 2023.
Meantime, AEC’s 2024 Distinguished Alumni recipient also had a big week at Ag Media Summit. Katrina Huffstutler, an ’04 and ’05 AEC graduate, was awarded the Ag Communicators Network's Master of Communications Award and the organization’s 2024 Communicator of the Year Award. She also wrapped up her term as president of the Livestock Publications Council. Huffstutler is Director of Content for Grant Company in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
In other action, Agricultural Communications Assistant Professor of Practice Lindsay Kennedy was elected to serve another term on the Livestock Publications Council Board of Directors where she serves as co-chair of the organization’s marketing committee. Davis College Associate Dean for Outreach & Engagement Erica Irlbeck and Scarlett Madigner, a Texas Tech agricultural communications alum (’00 and ’01) and vice president of communications for the Kansas Livestock Association, served as panel speakers during an educational session titled, “Crisis Communications Panel: How to Share Ag’s Message During the Worst Times.”
Texas Tech Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow members also received several awards in the Critique & Contest:
Writing Division
- 1st Place Long Personality Profile – Layne Burnett(also the overall Award of Excellence in Writing)
- 4th Place Long Personality Profile – Caroline Leach
- 1st Place Single Blog Entry – Ryan Hess
- 3rd Place Long Feature Story – Layne Burnett
- 2nd Place Short Personality Story – Layne Burnett
- 3rd Place Short Personality Story – Annie Sulpizio
- 2nd Place Editorial – Emma Taber
Public Relations Division
- 1st Place Single Social Media Post – Kensie Darst-Todd
- 1st Place Press/News Release – Ryan Hess
- 2nd Place Press/News Release – Layne Burnett
- 3rd Place Public Relations Campaign – Caroline Leach, Annie Sulpizio, Payton Fletcher & Trey Brumley
Publication Division
- 4th Place Magazine – The Agriculturist 2023 Issue
Electronic Media Division
- 2nd Place Short Video Package – Kensie Darst-Todd
Photography Division
- 1st Place Black & White Photo – Emma Taber
- 1st Place People Photo – Emma Taber
- 5th Place People Photo – Hannah Hudgens
- 3rd Place Plant Photo – Emma Taber
- 3rd Place Other Photo – Hannah Hudgens
- 4th Place Scenic Photo – Caroline Leach
- 3rd Place Photo Series – Kensie Darst-Todd
ACT Distinguished Member of the Year
- Kensie Darst-Todd
Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications has 15 faculty members with more than 280 undergraduate students and 115 graduate students. Faculty members specialize in one of three disciplinary areas: teacher education, agricultural communications, and agricultural leadership. Master's degrees are available in agricultural education and agricultural communications, and a departmental Ph.D. program allows students to focus on any of the three areas. In addition, graduate certificates are available in agricultural leadership and agricultural communication.
CONTACT: Scott Burris, Chair, Department of Agricultural Education & Communications, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-8689 or scott.burris@ttu.edu
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