Monthly Archives: October 2013

Five ALEC Students Gain Real-World Experience through State Fair of Texas Internships

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By: Mollie Lastovica Four agricultural communications and journalism students and one agricultural leadership and development student gained real-world experience in public relations, event coordination and social media marketing through internships with Cultivate Agency at the State Fair of Texas. The AGCJ students, Caitlin Powers, senior, Caitlin McKenna, junior, Chelsea Phillips, senior, Erin Brown, junior, and ALED junior Molly Dutton each worked in Dallas for a week’s span throughout the month of October. “I gained a greater understanding of the behind-the-scenes work it takes to relay information to the… Read More →

Expanding International Horizons

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By Caitlin Powers Kelsey Hirsch, senior agricultural leadership and development major, expands her international horizons by joining the Academy of Future International Leaders. The year-long high impact program provides outstanding undergraduates with potential leadership skills an in-depth learning experience in global issues. “I thought this would be a good opportunity to get a broader overview of what it is to be an international leader,” Hirsch said. According to their website, the academy seeks to prepare students for leadership roles in the increasingly international 21st century while gaining a… Read More →

Sheppard ’47 Funds Endowment to Support KAMU-TV

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By Caitlin Powers Frank Sheppard, Ph.D., ‘47 has gifted the department with an endowment to support AGCJ 409, television production for agricultural journalists, a course that teaches students to utilize and broadcast on the Brazos Valley public broadcasting station, KAMU-TV. Sheppard paid a special visit to the spring 2014 class March 31. “I love the fact that we produce a real television show,” Jennifer Enocksen, junior agricultural communications and journalism major said. “It makes the broadcasting industry less intimidating as a career option because you’ve already been there… Read More →

TALL Program Experiences California Agriculture

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By: Caitlin Powers Class XIII of the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program experienced California agriculture during their trip on October 14-18, 2013. The TALL program, an initiative of the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, enhances the leadership skills of men and women from every sector of agriculture and all over Texas. The two-year program is practical and action-oriented in which participants meet eight times for sessions or seminars. The trip to California would be the sixth session for class XIII. “I feel like we saw and heard a… Read More →

International Collaboration in the Desert: A new Aggie Tradition

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 By: A-Micah Mills and Tobin Redwine Texas A&M University is fond of tradition. The old saying goes: if it is done once, it is an accident; twice, a tradition. Henceforth, a new A&M tradition was started this summer – a tradition of traveling 8,000 miles around the world into a sea of sand at the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre. From this tradition, an international collaboration was born. The partnership between the ALEC department and the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre will be on display when Mary Seely,… Read More →

ALEC Department to Host ADVANCE Speaker Susan Madsen, Ph.D.

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The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications will host ADVANCE Speaker Susan Madsen, Ph.D., at the AgriLife Center on Oct. 25 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Madsen is a Professor of Leadership and Ethics in the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University. Her credentials extend outside of the classroom where she has studied women in leadership for a number of years. She has worked with political dignitaries across international borders, published over 60 articles in scholarly journals and was recently named one of Utah Business Magazine’s 2013… Read More →

Exploring Opportunities in Haiti

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  By: Caitlin Powers ALEC faculty traveled to the Live Beyond and Christianville organizations, based in Haiti, to explore opportunities for the ALEC department and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to partner and collaborate in an international setting. Professor Gary Briers, Ph.D., and Professor James Lindner, Ph.D., along with Joe Masabni, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of horticultural sciences, visited the organizations whose primary mission is to improve the quality of life for the people in Haiti, September 5-11. “Our primary purpose was to look opportunities… Read More →

2012 AGCJ Graduate Named Finalist in Your Big Year Competition

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By: Mollie Lastovica For Karyssa Zavala, world peace, food security and equality are more than far-fetched dreams. The 2012 agricultural communications and journalism graduate is working daily to instigate change on the global level. Recently, Zavala was recognized as one of 12 champions in the 2013 Your Big Year contest, created by World Merit. In November, she will compete against the other 11 finalists in San Francisco for designation as the 2013 World Merit Global Ambassador. “Your Big Year was founded in 2010 by Chris Arnold, as part… Read More →