SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: W4006 : Multistate Agricultural Literacy Research
Period Covered: 10/01/2024 to 09/30/2025
Date of Report: 10/20/2025
Annual Meeting Dates: 09/15/2025 to 09/17/2025

In Person: Michelle Burrows – Utah State University (USU), Rose Judd-Murray (USU), Becka Israelson (USU - Utah Ag in the Classroom), Josh Stewart - Oregon State University (OSU), Bailey Steward (OSU -Undergraduate). Teague Teece (OSU), Hailey Traini (OSU), Taylor Apple/ Kennedy – Texas A&M (Graduate Student), Melody Beck – Texas A&M (Graduate Student), Theresa Murphy – Texas A&M, Shannon Norrish Parish – Texas A&M, Ean Richards – Stephen F. Austin (Graduate Student), Brian Warnick (Administrative Advisor) – USU. Online: Gaea Hock – Kansas State University, Carley Morrison – Mississippi State University, Annie Specht – Ohio State University (Chair-Elect), Stephanie Lemley – Mississippi State University (Guest), Ally Spears – Texas A&M, Katie Stofer – University of Florida, Jessica Benson – Mississippi State University

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Attached file:

W4006-minutes-from-9_15_2025.docx

Accomplishments

Accomplishments: This report summarizes collaborative efforts across seven institutions—Texas A&M, Colorado State, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Kansas State and Oregon State—focused on advancing agricultural literacy through five key objectives. These include assessing agricultural knowledge and decision-making, understanding attitudes and motivations, evaluating literacy programs, analyzing nonformal instruction and policy impacts, and identifying innovative literacy methods. Contributors reported a range of projects such as curriculum evaluations, social media influence studies, agritourism research, and food safety education in underserved communities.

This report also highlights a robust body of scholarly work completed in 2024/2025, including peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and poster sessions. These outputs reflect diverse approaches to agricultural literacy—from experiential learning and intercultural communication to mental health in agriculture and the use of nontraditional educational spaces like distilleries and social media. Graduate and undergraduate students played a significant role in many of these efforts.

Short-term outcomes:

Objective	Projects & Activities	Institutions / Contributors
#1: Assessing Agricultural Knowledge and Decision-Making	- Ag literacy hackathon and undergraduate research - High school curriculum impact on socioscientific reasoning - Extension literacy replication study - Agricultural video games study - Systems thinking proposal (poultry industry, podcasts) - SNAP education research - Precision ag knowledge survey	Texas A&M (Parish, Murphy) Mississippi State (Morrison) Ohio State (Specht) Oregon (Stewart) USU (RJM) Stephen F. Austin (Richards)
#2: Understanding Attitudes, Perceptions, and Motivations	- Beef/dairy sustainability attitudes study - Pollinator decline study - Social media influencer study - Ohio food/ag/environment perceptions survey	CSU (Bennett) Texas A&M (Spears, Murphy) Ohio State (Specht)
#3: Evaluating Agricultural Literacy Programs	- Youth peer educator impact study - CRE 2.0 PD for MS teachers - Mississippi Ag 360 VR field trips - ivistiproject.com virtual farm/ranch visits - AgExcel microcredential proposal	Mississippi State (Morrison, Benson) Texas A&M (Lemley) Kansas State (Hock)
#4: Assessing Nonformal Instruction and Policy Impacts	- Law enforcement ag preparedness training - USDA NEXT GEN veteran mental health study - Extension agent training with microcredentials - Undergraduate research on policy/public perception	Texas A&M (Parish, Murphy) Mississippi State (Benson)
#5: Identifying Innovative Agricultural Literacy Methods	- Bourbon distillery agritourism study - Reality TV and Twitter data analysis - Curriculum evaluation in traditional/nontraditional spaces - International food safety workshops - Livestock complex outreach hub - Online groundwater education modules	Ohio State (Specht) Texas A&M (Parish, Norris) Oregon (Traini) USU (Burrows) Mississippi State (Morrison, Lemley) USDA SAS Groundwater project

Outputs:

Objective	Outputs	Citation / Source
#1: Assessing Agricultural Knowledge and Decision-Making	Journal articles on Extension literacy, communication skills Conference presentations (AIAEE, WAAAE, ACE) Poster presentations on debate, logos, intercultural experiences	Judd-Murray et al., 2024 Norris-Parish et al., 2024 Rawdon et al., 2024 Trevizo et al., 2024 Scott et al., 2024 Rodriguez et al., 2024
#2: Understanding Attitudes, Perceptions, and Motivations	Conference presentation on Instagram influencers Journal article on Ohio resident perceptions	Spears et al., 2025 Thapa et al., 2024
#3: Evaluating Agricultural Literacy Programs	Journal articles on PD and equity Literacy in the Disciplines articles on SEL and food insecurity Evaluation data from Pacific Collaborative and SPECA Mississippi teacher institute outputs	Lemley et al., 2024 Lemley & Marlow, 2025
#4: Assessing Nonformal Instruction and Policy Impacts	Poster presentations on veteran mental health and ag support tools	Levario & Norris-Parish, 2024
#5: Identifying Innovative Agricultural Literacy Methods	Journal articles on Ugandan educators, employability, emotional duties, ACEs Conference presentations on trauma and ACEs Poster presentations on Science Influencers and groundwater	McCarty et al., 2024 Norris & Norris-Parish, 2024 Palmer et al., 2024 Petty et al., 2024

Activities:

Objective	Activities / Research Conducted
#1: Assessing Agricultural Knowledge and Decision-Making	- Conducted agricultural literacy assessments in varied contexts- Implemented a “hack-a-thon” approach to connect students with ag literacy- Evaluated high school students’ knowledge and socioscientific reasoning- Assessed knowledge gains via “train the trainer” model- Studied social media influencers in the beef industry- Investigated consumer education efforts in bourbon distilleries- Delivered food safety training in Pacific Island communities with pre/post assessments
#2: Understanding Attitudes, Perceptions, and Motivations	- Evaluated high school students’ attitudes post problem-based learning- Explored social media influencers’ impact on perceptions- Surveyed Ohio residents on food, ag, and environmental concerns
#3: Evaluating Agricultural Literacy Programs	- Studied youth peer educator impact on knowledge and career interest- Delivered ACRE 2.0 PD to MS teachers integrating SEL and literacy- Evaluated Pacific Collaborative food safety training outcomes- Assessed SPECA project’s externships, field trips, and resources
#4: Assessing Nonformal Instruction and Policy Impacts	- Trained law enforcement and federal agents in ag emergency response- Investigated agricultural exposure’s impact on veteran mental health
#5: Identifying Innovative Agricultural Literacy Methods	- Analyzed curriculum and policy in traditional and international ag ed- Studied social media influencers and agritourism (bourbon distilleries)- Explored nontraditional spaces for literacy (e.g., tourism, online modules)

Milestones:

Objective	Milestones
#1: Assessing Agricultural Knowledge and Decision-Making	- Completion of ag literacy hackathon integrating core science with education - Development of high school curriculum assessing socioscientific reasoning - Replication of extension literacy study in Mississippi - Launch of agricultural video game literacy study - Resubmission of systems thinking proposal (poultry industry, podcasts) - Completion of precision ag knowledge survey - SNAP education research identifying service usage and impact
#2: Understanding Attitudes, Perceptions, and Motivations	- Completion of dissertation on sustainability attitudes in beef and dairy sectors - Launch of pollinator decline study - Execution of social media influencer study - Survey of Ohio residents on food, agriculture, and environment
#3: Evaluating Agricultural Literacy Programs	- Implementation of Mississippi Ag 360 VR field trips - Launch of ACRE 2.0 PD for MS teachers - Development of ivistiproject.com for virtual farm/ranch visits - Submission of AgExcel proposal for extension agent microcredential training
#4: Assessing Nonformal Instruction and Policy Impacts	- Completion of agricultural preparedness training for law enforcement - USDA NEXT GEN study on veteran mental health and agricultural exposure - Undergraduate research on policy and public perceptions
#5: Identifying Innovative Agricultural Literacy Methods	- Execution of USDA-funded food safety workshops in the Insular Pacific - Research on agritourism value with community development professionals - Reality TV and Twitter data analysis on agricultural literacy impacts - Bourbon distillery study on consumer perceptions and agritourism - Development of outreach and education hub at OSU livestock complex - Online groundwater education modules - Recruitment of editors for Agricultural Education Magazine issue on ag literacy

Impacts

Publications

Objective 1

Judd-Murray, R., Hill, N., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Hock, G. (2024). A multi-state agricultural literacy assessment of Extension professionals and volunteers. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(2), 191–208. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v65i2.2481

Norris-Parish, S. L., Leggette, H. R., Murphrey, T., Parrella, J., Richburg, A., & Herring, A. (2024). Beefing up communication skills of upper-level animal science students. Translational Animal Science, 8(txae007), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae007

Rawdon, T., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Roberts-Hill, L. (2024, April). Building confidence abroad: Impact of a study abroad program on student confidence levels when communicating internationally [Oral Presentation]. AIAEE Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.

Trevizo, E., Kent, A., Greene, P., McCarty, R., Roberts-Hill, L., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, April). Doing as the locals do: Evaluating students’ perceived self-efficacy in intercultural communication when traveling abroad [Oral Presentation]. AIAEE Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.

Rybolt, E., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, November). Impact of cooperative learning for communicating global agricultural issues using the jigsaw technique [Oral Presentation]. Graduate Research & Arts Symposium, Las Cruces, NM.

Scott, T., & Norris-Parish, S. (2024, September). Capturing confidence: Engaging improvisation techniques to teach debate and public speaking skills [Poster Presentation]. WAAAE Research Conference, Chico, CA.

Scott, T., Roberts-Hill, L., & Norris-Parish, S. (2024, September). Duplik[ating] shapes: Using basic shapes and gaming tactics to train logo creation [Poster Presentation]. WAAAE Research Conference, Chico, CA.

Rodriguez, T., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, June). Props for persuasion: Engaging persuasive and marketing strategies when teaching communication campaigns [Poster Presentation]. ACE Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.

Gardner, M., Roberts-Hill, L., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, April). Drought is universal, but not indistinguishable: Investigating how traveling abroad challenges perspectives [Poster Presentation]. AIAEE Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.

Hodnett, A., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, February). Empowering interviews: Establishing confidence in sharing personal stories in professional interviews [Poster Presentation]. NACS, Atlanta, GA.

Objective 2

Spears, A., Murphrey, T., Dooley, K., & McElroy, A. (2025). Influencing the herd: A phenomenological exploration of beef Instagram influencers. AAAE National Conference, Lubbock, TX.

Thapa, M., Adhikari, S., Specht, A. R., Lawson, C. R., Rumble, J. N., & Buck, E. B. (2024). Exploring perceptions of Ohio residents on agricultural issues. Journal of Applied Communications, 108(4). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2569

Objective 3

Lemley, S. M., Alley, K. A., & Morrison, C. C. (2024). Developing deeper understandings through an agricultural literacy professional development. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(4), 20–41. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v65i4.159

Lemley, S. M., Alley, K. A., & Clary, R. M. (2024). Voices from the field: Agriculture educators’ perspectives on equity in agricultural education. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(3), 52–74. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v65i3.2487

Lemley, S. M., & Marlow, T. (2025, March 11). Growing knowledge: A 7th grade teacher in Cleveland, Mississippi is cultivating agriculture skills and tackling food insecurity. Literacy in the Disciplines. https://literacy6-12.org/marlow-20250312/

Lemley, S. M. (2024, April 16). Infusing socio-emotional learning into K–12 classrooms utilizing “hunger” as an agricultural context. Literacy in the Disciplines. https://literacy6-12.org/infusing-socio-emotional-learning-into-k12-classrooms-utilizing-hunger-as-an-agricultural-context/

Lemley, S. M., Messman, R., Swanson, R., & Lemley, C. (2024). Two-week agriculture institute prepares Mississippi teachers to improve agricultural literacy in classrooms. Journal of Animal Science, 102(Suppl_1), 12–13. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae019.014

Lemley, S. M., Messman, R., Swanson, R., & Lemley, C. (2024). Two-week agriculture institute prepares Mississippi teachers to improve agricultural literacy in classrooms. American Association of Animal Science–Southern Section, Louisville, KY.

Objective 4

Levario, Z., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, November). Mental health in agriculture: Describing agricultural support tools for veteran mental health [Poster Presentation]. USDA NEXT GEN LEADING Annual Conference, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Levario, Z., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024, February). Mental health and agriculture: Investigating agricultural programming and tools supporting veteran mental health [Poster Presentation]. USDA NEXT GEN LEADING Annual Conference, Kingsville, TX.

Objective 5

McCarty, R., Norris-Parish, S. L., Edgar, D., Roberts-Hill, L., & Witte, J. (2024). Examination of Ugandan educators’ cultural preferences when teaching agriculture: A Q methodological study. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 31(1), 74–91. https://doi.org/10.4148/2831-5960.1169

Norris, W., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024). Employing the next generation: Defining the need for employability skills integration through the lens of school district superintendents. Journal of Research in Technical Careers, 8(2), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.9741/2578-2118.1156

Norris, W., & Norris-Parish, S. L. (2024). The emotional duties of an agricultural educator. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(1), 193–209. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v65i1.2460

Norris, W., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Crayton, T. (2024). The administrative paradox: Assessing how teaching experience affects superintendents’ perceptions of the importance of educational law to agricultural educators. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(3), 75–94. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v65i3.2597

Norris, W., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Greene-Lippard, P. (2024). More than a lesson: A qualitative analysis of agricultural educators’ impact on students with adverse childhood experiences. Journal of Agricultural Education, 64(4), 1–18.

Norris, W., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Greene-Lippard, P. (2024, May). More than a lesson: A qualitative analysis of agricultural educators’ impact on students with adverse childhood experiences [Oral Presentation]. AAAE National Conference, Manhattan, KS.

Norris, W., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Greene-Lippard, P. (2024, May). Rising above the suffering: Assessing agricultural educators with traumatic situations involvement in supporting students with adverse childhood experiences [Oral Presentation]. AAAE National Conference, Manhattan, KS.

Palmer, K., Benitez, J. A., Norris-Parish, S., Leggette, H., & Wingenbach, G. (2024, September). The mentor's lens: Evaluating the preparedness and performance of the Science Influencers [Poster Presentation]. WAAAE Research Conference, Chico, CA.

Petty, K., Norris-Parish, S. L., & Shukla, M. (2024, January). Education for a new generation: Using online modules for groundwater education [Poster Presentation]. USDA SAS Groundwater Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.

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