Faculty and students from Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications (AEC) were recognized on an international stage this month, earning top honors at the annual meeting of the Association for International Agricultural & Extension Education in Costa Rica.
The meeting drew scholars and practitioners from around the world, underscoring a growing emphasis on collaboration and innovation in agricultural education systems.
The awards were presented during the organization’s 2026 conference, “Wander Beyond: Charting New Territory in International Agricultural & Extension Education,” held April 13–16 in San Jose. The meeting drew scholars and practitioners from around the world, underscoring a growing emphasis on collaboration and innovation in agricultural education systems.
Among the most prominent distinctions was the organization’s Journal Article of the Year award, presented to Sarahi Morales-Vanegas, an assistant professor of practice at Texas Tech. Her research, “Farmworkers’ Voices: What It Means to Work in a Specialty Coffee Farm in Honduras and El Salvador,” examines labor experiences within the specialty coffee sector.
The study, co-authored with Carlos Carpio-Ochoa of New Mexico State University, was supported by the Specialty Coffee Association, a leading international body focused on strengthening the coffee industry through community and research.
Other presentations drawing praise included:
- Distinguished Abstract & Spotlight Presentation | Flavor Profiles: Understanding Who’s Hungry for Beef and How to Reach Them Through an Audience Segmentation Approach | Jessica Dammers Hemphill (Communications & Research Project Manager, Center for Agriscience Communications, AEC), Cadence Lommori (M.S. Student, AEC), Laura Fischer (Associate Professor, AEC), Courtney Meyers (Professor, AEC), Cara Lawson (AEC Alumni, Assistant Prof, Ohio State)
- Oral Presentation – Runner Up | Flavor Profiles: Understanding Who’s Hungry for Beef and How to Reach Them Through an Audience Segmentation Approach | Jessica Dammers Hemphill (Communications & Research Project Manager, Center for Agriscience Communications, AEC), Cadence Lommori (M.S. Student, AEC), Laura Fischer (Associate Professor, AEC), Courtney Meyers (Professor, AEC), Cara Lawson (AEC Alumni, Assistant Prof, Ohio State)
- Distinguished Abstract | A Qualitative Assessment & Call for Critical AI Literacy Curriculum Globally | Channing Pieniazek (MS, AEC), Kylie Harlan-Smith (Instructor, AEC), Laura Fischer (Associate Professor, AEC), Scott Burris (Chair, AEC)
- Outstanding Poster Presentation | High Steaks Debate: A Review of Social Media Comments Surrounding United States Beef Imports to Australia | Channing Pieniazek (MS, AEC), Kaitlyn Anderson (PhD, AEC), Laura Fischer, Justin Nichols (MS, AEC)
- Poster Presentation - Research Distinguished Presentation | Using the theory of planned behavior to inform sustainability curriculum: lessons from restaurants in Honduras | Sarahi Morales (AEC department), Luis Sandoval (AECON department), Ana C. Sant’Anna (Virginia Tech), Brenda Mamani (AECON department), and Lauren Underwood (AEC department) Funding provided by: the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Founded in 1984, the Association for International Agricultural & Extension Education serves as a global network for educators and researchers committed to strengthening agricultural knowledge systems and outreach programs. Its annual conference provides a forum for sharing research and advancing best practices across borders.
In addition to research honors, Todd Brashears, a professor in Texas Tech’s Department of Agricultural Education & Communications, was recognized for his service as the organization’s president over the past year. Brashears, who also works with the university’s International Center for Food Industry Excellence, focuses his research on workforce development and the behavioral dimensions of agricultural education programs.
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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