Faculty and students from Texas Tech’s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources earned top honors this week at a major regional gathering devoted to research in agricultural education, underscoring the college’s growing national profile in the field.
Among the prominent honorees was Will Doss, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education & Communications, who received the organization’s Outstanding Early Career Member Award.
At the Southern Region conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education, held last week in Louisville, Ky., Davis College scholars were recognized for award-winning research, innovative teaching ideas and a broad range of scholarly presentations. The association, known as AAAE, is the leading professional organization for social science research focused on food, agriculture and natural resources.
Among the prominent honorees was Will Doss, an assistant professor in Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications, who received the organization’s Outstanding Early Career Member Award. The honor recognizes significant contributions to agricultural education during the first seven years following the completion of a terminal degree.
“I am humbled to be recognized by the Southern Region AAAE community of scholars and professionals that I look up to,” Doss said. “This award motivates me to continue to produce high quality research and try to make a positive impact on agricultural education.”
Doss was also part of a four-person research team which included doctoral candidate Krysti Kelley that earned a Distinguished Manuscript Award for a study examining, Perceptions of School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers Toward Promoting Agricultural Education Teaching as a Career.
With more than a decade of experience in classrooms and research settings, Doss’ work bridges school-based agricultural education and quantitative research methodology. His scholarship has appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Agricultural Education and Advancements in Agricultural Development.
Doss joined the Texas Tech faculty in September after holding faculty appointments at the University of Arkansas and Texas A&M University–Commerce. A Texas native, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University, followed by a doctorate from Texas Tech.
Other Davis College faculty were also recognized for innovation. Todd Brashears, a professor in agricultural education and communications, was part of a three-member research team that won the conference’s People’s Choice Innovative Idea Poster Presentation. Their project was titled RanchCraft: Leveraging an Online Gaming Environment for Skill Development in Agricultural Education.
Other oral research paper presentations at the AAAE meeting that included faculty and students from Davis College were:
- A Phenomenological Exploration of Administrator Efforts to Overcome the Effects of Chronic Teacher Turnover in Secondary Agricultural Education Programs |Krysti Kelley, Lance Nicholas and John Rayfield
- Constructing Agricultural Perspectives: A Q Methodology Study of Undergraduate Agricultural Majors Views on Agricultural Issues | Clarissa Darby, Joshue Lewis and Laura Fischer
- Managing for Success: Proactive and Reactive Classroom Management Strategies in Agricultural Education and Their Impact on Self-Efficacy | Clarissa Darby, Krysti Kelley and Will Doss
- Exploring Factors Influencing SBAE Teacher Career Choice, Perception, and Value | Will Doss
Other poster presentations included:
- Building Workforce-Ready Communication and Instructional Skills Through Agricultural Education Coursework | Clarissa Darby and Rudy Ritz
- Growing Our Own: SBAE Teacher Recruitment in the Classroom | Will Doss
- Scoring with Confidence: Enhancing Preservice Teachers’ Ability to Evaluate Instruction | Ashlyn Smith, Krysti Kelley and Will Doss
Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications includes 15 faculty members and serves more than 280 undergraduate students and 10 graduate students. The department offers master’s degrees in agricultural education and agricultural communications, a Ph.D. program spanning teacher education, agricultural leadership and communications, and an online Ed.D. designed for mid-career professionals seeking advanced training without leaving their communities.
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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