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College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications
  • Degrees and Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs
      • B.S. Agricultural Communications and Journalism
      • B.S. Agricultural Science
      • B.S. Agricultural Leadership and Development
      • Undergraduate Minors
      • Leadership Honors Program
      • Dr. Joe D. Townsend ’67 ALEC Leadership Fellows
    • Graduate Programs
      • M.S. Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications – Thesis
      • M.S. Leadership, Education, and Communications – Non-Thesis Option
      • M.Ag. Agricultural Development – Distance Education Only
      • Ph.D. Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications
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Your gift supports student success and ensures they have the opportunities and resources needed to excel.

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Giving to the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications

The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications was officially founded in September 2006. However, roots of our department date back to over 100 years ago. We have grown and evolved to become one of the leading departments in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications. Today, more than ever, we are purpose-driven to do our part to improve the lives of youth, families and adults through leadership, educational, and communication programming.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our donors and friends. Discover how you can help advance excellence at Texas A&M University and make a difference in the lives of our students and faculty.

Ways to Give

There are numerous ways to give through the Texas A&M Foundation that allow you to direct your gift for a specific purpose at Texas A&M University. You can support students, faculty, college programs or student activities with an endowed gift that will provide permanent support, or you can make a non-endowed gift to be used more immediately for a designated purpose. 

Explore Giving Options
Connect with our Development Team

Industry Partnerships and Corporate Giving

The best choice a business can make is investing in future generations. If you’re a business looking for ways to give back through time, talents, money or experiences, our development team would love to connect and help identify ways we can turn your interests into a worthwhile investment.

Jennifer Ann Scasta ’11
Director of Corporate Relations
(979) 845-7594 | jscasta@txamfoundation.com

Department Funding Priorities

Grand Vision

This account provides for construction of the Agriculture and Workforce Education Building on the RELLIS campus, a collaborative effort of The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications, and Blinn College. This facility is the future home of Texas A&M’s agricultural science program, which prepares and places agricultural science teachers into high school classrooms across the state of Texas, and Blinn’s academic and workforce training offerings, which range from advanced manufacturing, welding, carpentry and HVAC to plumbing, electrical and Blinn’s high-demand commercial truck driver training.

Advancing Expertise and Faculty Excellence

As our department grows and adapts to respond to industry demands in our state, one of the greatest needs for the department is funding to recruit and retain world-class faculty members to promote and establish Texas A&M University as a national leader in the fields of agricultural economics, agribusiness, entrepreneurship and more. An investment in faculty support will enable college leadership to recruit and retain renowned scholars in the following leadership positions and in turn, propel recruitment efforts to build programming and student enrollment. If you’re interested in supporting faculty and our academic programs, you might consider investing in: Endowed Chairs or Professorships, Research Funding, Infrastructure and Capital Projects.

Investing in Academic Programs

The Texas A&M University Department of Agricultural Economics is renowned for training high-caliber degrees and programs. Our students go on to pursue careers in industry, government, private sector and law. We offer small class sizes and provide undergraduate and graduate students with superior problem-solving and critical thinking skills applied to environmental, public policy, marketing and sales, entrepreneurship, finance, real estate and agribusiness issues.  If you’re interested in supporting our academic programs, you might consider investing in: Weston AgriFood Sales Program, Dianne and Edward Rister ‘74 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program.

Promoting Cutting-Edge Research

The diversity of agriculture and agribusiness enterprises in Texas provides opportunities for a wide variety of research. The department conduct impactful, relevant research relating to agriculture and food value chain, consumer behavior, market trends, natural resource and environmental impacts. If you’re interested in supporting innovative research efforts, you might consider investing in: Special projects through the Human Behavior Lab or Coffee Center for Research and Education.

Olivia Fazzino

Preparing communication
leaders of tomorrow

Olivia Fazzino ’23 is a third-year student studying agricultural science in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications. Fazzino, a Bryan native, brings abundant passion and leadership experience. With a background in advancing and placing in state and National FFA Agriscience Conventions and Houston Livestock Shows, Fazzino exudes a strong commitment to the advancement and education of agriculture. Following graduation, Fazzino hopes to become an educator and teach the importance of agriculture.

Olivia Fazzino ’21

Olivia Fazzino

Preparing communication
leaders of tomorrow

Olivia Fazzino ’23 is a third-year student studying agricultural science in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications. Fazzino, a Bryan native, brings abundant passion and leadership experience. With a background in advancing and placing in state and National FFA Agriscience Conventions and Houston Livestock Shows, Fazzino exudes a strong commitment to the advancement and education of agriculture. Following graduation, Fazzino hopes to become an educator and teach the importance of agriculture.

Olivia Fazzino ’21

Giving News

Dr. Joe Townsend ’67 Endowment started

Thanks to a generous gift from a friend of Dr. Townsend, and the department, Leroy “Shafe” Shafer ’67, a leadership chair named after Dr. Townsend will seek to continue his legacy of leadership.

Read more about this endowment
Giving News

Scholarship Surprise

To do something out-of-the-box for their great-niece Abby Mayfield ’18, Margo and Bill Harrison ’62 surprised her by creating a scholarship in her honor to support other students in her field of study—agricultural leadership, education and communications.

Read more about this scholarship
Giving News

Rodeo Royalty

Texas agricultural legend Manzell Leroy “Shafe” Shafer ’67 and his wife Nancy establish an impactful planned gift for Texas A&M.

Read more about this gift

Learn About the Texas A&M Foundation

The Texas A&M Foundation builds a brighter future for Texas A&M University, one relationship at a time.

As a nonprofit and the primary academic fundraising institution for Texas A&M, we aspire to be among the most trusted philanthropies in higher education. Our team works with former students, corporations and other Texas A&M supporters to match their charitable interests with the university’s priorities. Gifts create scholarships, advance faculty endeavors, enhance student programs and fund campus construction, greatly enhancing Texas A&M’s mission to provide the highest quality undergraduate and graduate programs and develop new understandings through research and creativity.

Learn More

Contact Our Development Team

Our development officers are determined to help you invest in causes you care about. Whether you are considering making your first gift or are already a longtime donor, we’re excited to work with you!

  • Scasta, Jennifer Ann

    Jennifer Ann Scasta

    Director of Corporate Relations

    (979) 845-7594

    556 John Kimbrough Blvd., Suite 200, 2140 TAMU College Station, TX 77843

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600 John Kimbrough Blvd, TAMU 2116, College Station, TX 77843
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Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications

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