Graduate student, Hannah Gustin, and graduate alumni, Kindle Catching, from Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications and the Center for Agriscience Communications (CATT) took high honors for their research at the National Agricultural Communications Symposium on Monday (Feb. 3) in Irving, Texas.
“The success of our students at the National Agricultural Communications Symposium reflects the exceptional talent within our program,” said Laura Fischer, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education & Communications. “Their award-winning research demonstrates their dedication, curiosity, and readiness to address industry challenges.”
According to Fischer, the department continues to lead the way in advancing agricultural communications research, and it highlights CATT’s growing leadership in the discipline. By earning top research honors and presenting innovative projects on sustainable messaging, and presenting innovative work on AI and audience segmentation, she said, the faculty is positioning the department and CATT as a hub for cutting-edge research that informs industry practices and advances the field of agricultural communications.
Among the high finishers at the meeting were:
- Outstanding Research Paper | Hannah Gustin, Laura Fischer, Kylie Kitten, Donna McCallister and Qi Kang | 2025 |Cotton with a conscience: The addition of moral norms to the Theory of Planned Behavior and purchasing intent for sustainable cotton. The project – Developing data-driven marketing incentives for sustainable cotton production throughout the supply chain – is a piece from a USDA funded project seeking to understand strategies for communicating with consumers regarding cotton sustainability, emphasizing the importance of integrating moral considerations into consumer behavior regarding sustainable cotton practices in the cotton industry.
- Outstanding Research Paper - Second Runner Up | Kindle Catching, Laura Fischer, Courtney Meyers, Amber McCord | 2025 | Framing sustainability: Exploring the impact of frames on Generation Z’s perception of beef sustainability messages on Instagram. The project was a piece of Catching’s thesis. The study dived into how different messaging can influence the perceptions of sustainable among the vital Generation Z demographic.
Other Texas Tech papers presented at the NACS meeting were:
- Using Cluster Analysis to Inform Audience Segmentation - Developing Personas for Beef Nutrition Messaging | Jessica Hemphill, Laura Fischer, Brooke Vyvlecka, and Courtney Meyers
- From Value to Impact: Exploring Creativity in Agricultural Communications | Larrah Rhoades, Courtney Gibson, David Doerfert, Erica Irlbeck and Claire Case
- Pixels From the Machine: Exploring College Students’ Perceptions of Agricultural-Related Images Generated by AI | Kyler Hardegreeand Courtney Gibson
Among the professional development and idea incubator presentations from Texas Tech were:
- Harnessing AI in the Agricultural Communications Classroom: Practical Tools to Enhance Engagement & Productivity | Kylie Harlan, Laura Fischer and Kyler Hardegree
- Extension Professionals' Attitudes and Motivation to Share Information About Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices | Kaitlyn Anderson
Separately, Fischer noted that Gustin is active in a new initiative launching this semester within Davis College, serving as a graduate student mentor for a 2025 Undergraduate Research Grant recipient. She’ll be working with Abigail Garza, a junior agricultural communications major from Midland, on a study titled, Promoting Sustainable Cotton on Social Media: Exploring the Influence of Message Themes on Audience Engagement. Aimed at research questions of regional, national and global importance, the undergraduate research program offers research opportunities to expand an undergraduate’s understanding of quality science, as well as their chosen fields, said Davis College Associate Dean for Research Noureddine Abidi.
Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications has 15 faculty members with 285 undergraduate students and 103 graduate students. Faculty members within the department 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. A departmental Ph.D. program allows students to focus on any of the three areas, and an online Ed.D. program allows for continuing education of place-bound, mid-career professionals.
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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