Congratulations to Summer McLain on the successful defense of her master’s thesis “Ohio FFA State Officer Experiences with Mental Health Topics in Ohio Agricultural Education Programs.”
McLain will graduate in May with a master of science in agricultural communication, education, and leadership.
Dr. Jera Niewoehner-Green, assistant professor of community leadership, served as her advisor and Dr. Caryn Filson, assistant professor of agriscience education, served on her committee.
Beach, Pozderac, and Shuman
Undergraduate students from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) competed in two undergraduate research forums at The Ohio State University. The University’s Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Undergraduate Research Forum were both held virtually during the first week of April.
Schelby Beach, a senior studying agricultural communication from Findlay, Ohio, participated in both undergraduate research forums with her research project “Consumers’ Perception of Ethics and Lab-Cultured Proteins.” She was mentored by Dr. Annie Specht, associate professor of agricultural communication.
Jacob Shuman, a senior studying community leadership from Chillicothe, Ohio, presented his research at the CFAES Undergraduate Research Forum. For his project, “Quantifying Attributes of Drone Congregation Areas,” he was mentored by Dr. Reed Johnson, associate professor of entomology in the Department of Entomology at Ohio State.
Milan Pozderac, a senior studying agriscience education from Fredericktown, Ohio, presented his research at the CFAES Undergraduate Research Forum. He was awarded second place in the social science category for his project, “Career Choice and Beliefs: Insights from Second Generation Agriculture Teachers.” He was mentored by Dr. Tracy Kitchel, professor of agriscience education and senior associate dean and director of faculty and staff affairs for CFAES.
“I’m proud of our students who completed these research projects during an unusual time of both virtual learning and research,” said Dr. Shannon Washburn, professor and chair of ACEL. “The research they completed will help them in their future careers to improve the communities, programs and people they will work with each day.”
The CFAES Undergraduate Research Forum provides a means for undergraduate students to share their research with members and friends of the OSU community; recognizes the significant contributions to research by OSU undergraduates; and facilitates exchange between students, faculty, and the public. Students enrolled in any undergraduate degree program in College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and the School of Environment and Natural Resources are invited to participate, provided they have a CGPA of 2.5 or higher and are engaged in supervised research projects in the area of their major.
Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, currently in its 26th year, is a University-wide research forum that provides a means for undergraduate students to share their research with members and friends of the Ohio State community; recognizes the significant contributions to research by Ohio State undergraduates; and facilitates exchange between students, faculty, and the public.
Undergraduate students in ACEL study agricultural communication, agriscience education or community leadership. These three bachelor of science degrees prepare students working with youth and adults of age to promote agriculture and positive change in communities. For additional information on undergraduate in the areas of agricultural communication, education and leadership visit acel.osu.edu.
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Brenna Loxley is a senior studying agriscience education with a minor in production agriculture. Originally from Arcanum, Ohio, Brenna is a graduate of Arcanum High School. She is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be selected as an ACEL Distinguished Seniors.
Why did you choose your major?
I chose my major because I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture but I also really enjoy working with youth and knew the opportunities agricultural programs offered.
Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
Coming from a family of die-hard Buckeyes, I knew I should at least consider Ohio State. I came to visit my brother during his time on campus and knew that this would be the place for me.
What classes did you enjoy the most?
I really loved my teaching methods and community leadership courses, as well as the military history course I took for a general education credit.
What student organizations have you been involved in as a student?
Agriculture Education Society (recruitment chair and vice-president)
Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority (Founder’s Day chair)
What internships and field experience did you complete?
I was a field scout for Harvestland Co-op, a GrownNextGen ambassador (Ohio Soybean Association), and then an Urban Farm Camp Counselor at Sunbury Urban Farm.
Being a field scout got me super interested in agronomy and now it is something I enjoy even more teaching students. Being a GNG ambassador and working as a camp counselor just reassured me that educating others was something I loved to do!
What stands out as your best college memory?
The last night I was in Nicaragua on the first-year student education abroad program, we as a class got pizza at the hotel. Just sitting there and reflecting on our trip after finishing our first semester of college was such a turning point for me in my college career. I knew then that Ohio State was home and that I had many great opportunities ahead of me.
Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
It’s perfect for people who don’t only want to teach in schools, but if you really care about educating the public about agriculture. There are so many components of the major and we truly get experience in all aspects, not only teaching in schools.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
I plan to either attend grad school to earn my master’s degree in agricultural education or jump straight into teaching!
Serving food in the AES food stand at Farm Science Review.
Speaking with prospective employers at our annual career fair.
Teaching lessons in our classroom.
Milan Pozderac is a senior studying agriscience education with a minors in environmental science and production agriculture. Hailing from Fredericktown, Ohio, Milan is a graduate of Fredericktown High School. He is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be selected as an ACEL Distinguished Senior.
Why did you choose your major?
When I first came to Ohio State, I was still unsure of what I wanted to do in my career, but knew I wanted it to be in agriculture. My first year of my undergraduate career was spent learning more about the different majors in the college and the careers associated with them. It was important for me to have a career that was purposeful and fit my strengths and desired lifestyle well. These were all things I found in agriscience education, where I could teach and help students grow as individuals, remain in agriculture, and use my skills to help others.
Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
I was raised a Buckeye, as both my parents and grandparents met here at Ohio State. For me, I never really wanted to go anywhere else. Though when I visited campus, my decision was solidified. Ohio State is rich with history and tradition, has one of the best agricultural colleges in the nation, and I fell in love with everything the campus offered.
What classes did you enjoy the most?
I have had great experiences with all my classes at Ohio State, but two that stand out are public speaking (AGRCOMM 3101) and foundations of personal and professional leadership (COMLDR 3530). Along with being enjoyable, both these classes changed my thinking about leadership and speaking. They impacted me as a student and now as a teacher going into the profession.
In Brazil with Alpha Zeta Partners.
What student organizations have you been involved in as a student on campus?
FarmHouse – ATZ Fraternity (Served as New Member Educator and Spiritual Chair)
H2O Church (Served as small group leader)
Alpha Zeta Partners Honorary
Soil Judging Team Member
CFAES Ambassador
With fraternity brothers at Back to School Bash
With fraternity brothers.
What internships did you complete and how did they help you decide what you did or did not want to do after graduation?
I completed an internship with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, where I was part of a team that put on the Land and Living Exhibit at the Ohio State Fair. The exhibit’s purpose was to tell the story of modern Ohio agriculture to fairgoers. There I was immersed in current agricultural issues and was able to design educational activities around them. This experience reaffirmed that I wanted to teach after graduation and continue to share this story to my students. I also completed student teaching experiences with Fairfield Union High School’s agricultural education program and FFA chapter.
What stands out as your best college memory?
The CFAES Olympics were always a fun way to end the academic year with the college. I competed with my fraternity, FarmHouse, twice and we were able to win in both 2018 and 2019!
What do you plan to do after graduation?
After graduation, I hope to find a position as an agricultural educator in Ohio!
Judging soil as a member of the Ohio State Soil Judging Team
Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
Agriscience education is a purpose and passion driven career, where you can gain greater knowledge about the agriculture industry and focus on serving and teaching students. It opens you to a wide variety of opportunities while also letting you focus on those areas you want to grow in.
Olivia Pflaumer is a senior studying agriscience education with minors in production agriculture and environmental sciences. A Chillicothe, Ohio native, Olivia is a graduate of Zane Trace High School. She is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be selected as an ACEL Distinguished Senior. You
Why did you choose your major?
I chose agriscience education because of the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on agriculture, the environment, and my community by working with students in and outside of the classroom.
Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
I chose to attend Ohio State for a lot of reasons! The main reason being that the people I looked up to most in high school, my agricultural educators, went to Ohio State and I hoped to grow just as they did!
What classes did you enjoy the most?
Some of my favorite classes have been with Dr. Mary Rodriguez. I had the opportunity to take several classes with her throughout college, and each class provided an opportunity to challenge my thinking and grow.
What student organizations were you involved in as a student?
I’ve been a member of Agricultural Education Society and served as the reporter and the president and was a member of the OSU Rock Climbing Club and served as the outdoor chair.
What internships or field experiences did you complete?
I completed two internships with Stratford Ecological Center in Delaware, Ohio. First, as a sustainable agriculture intern and then as a coordinator for a beginner farmer program. Both opportunities, provided hands-on experiences of working with people and the land. These experiences helped me grow as a future educator in the classroom. I also completed my student teaching experience with Global Impact STEM Academy in Springfield.
What stands out as your best college memory?
There’s too many! Some of my favorite moments come from singing Carmen Ohio at the end of events. These moments always make me tear up, as they remind me the community and family that exist because of Ohio State.
Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
The support and opportunities to grow at Ohio State have been endless. I can’t imagine spending my undergraduate career anywhere else.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
I hope to teach as an agricultural educator, wherever I can!
Sean Fitzsimmons is a senior studying agriscience education with minors in production agriculture and agribusiness. Hailing from Wooster, in beautiful Wayne County, Ohio, Sean is a graduate of Hillsdale High School. He is one of 14 seniors from the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership to be selected as an ACEL Distinguished Senior.
Why did you choose your major?
I chose agriscience education because more than anything I am passionate about developing rural communities and investing in their growth. That starts with the students of these areas and their teachers provide a huge impact on them.
Why did you choose to attend Ohio State?
When I began looking at colleges, I was set on leaving the state and going somewhere new. However, I still wanted to at least tour Ohio State before I decided. As I walked down the path from the Oval to Mirror Lake on my tour as a senior in high school, I looked around and just felt like I was at ‘home.’ I didn’t really know how to describe it but I knew from that moment on I wasn’t going anywhere else.
What classes did you enjoy the most?
I think my favorite class I have ever taken is probably human and animal interactions. It was an amazing class taught by great professors, and it gave me a real appreciation and understanding of the relationship we have as agriculturalists with the animals we care for and use. It was a class that made me think more critically and really appreciate all of our four-legged friends out there. Not to mention, the behind the scenes zoo and farm tours were pretty neat.
What student organizations were you involved in as a Buckeye?
I have been a member of the Agricultural Education Society, the vice-president of finance with FarmHouse Fraternity, and involved with H20 Campus Missions. I have also worked at the Jerome Schottenstein Center where I was a janitor for the men’s and women’s basketball teams (one of the best jobs ever!) and up until student teaching, I worked at the other best job ever, as a student worker in the amazing ACEL department.
Overseeing the ACEL offices.
What internships did you complete and how did they help you decide what you did or did not want to do after graduation?
I have held one summer long internship with Teach Ag Ohio, where I was able to travel around Ohio and meet students in diverse agricultural classrooms and teach them about career opportunities within agriculture. I have also held an internship for going on four years now with Wayne Savings Community Bank where I have learned the importance of an independent, community based financial institution. My primary role there has been within the agricultural business field, where I am a member of the commercial lending team in which we help make financial dreams of our customers and farmers a reality. These internships have helped me see that I am passionate for people and communities in rural Ohio and I want to spend the rest of my life helping develop these areas.
Talking with FFA members about careers in agriculture at the Ohio FFA Convention.
Speaking with high school students about careers in agriculture.
What stands out as your best college memory?
My favorite Ohio State memory is probably all the times my fraternity brothers and I spent late nights exploring and taking in campus. Nothing made me appreciate the beauty of the Oval and Mirror Lake more than our late-night walks where we got to share great conversations, and even better company. How firm thy friendship!
With fraternity brother Ryan.
Why should someone else consider your major at Ohio State?
Anyone who has a passion for developing rural communities should consider this major. If you are someone who wants to make a huge impact in rural youths’ lives you absolutely should be in agriscience education at THE Ohio State University.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
After I graduate, I hope to continue to teach agriculture, or to continue to help farmers and business owners grow at Wayne Savings Community Bank.
The Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) has named 14 students to the third class of ACEL Distinguished Seniors in 2021. These students were selected by the faculty and staff of the Department for their excellence both in and out of the classroom.
2021 ACEL Distinguished Seniors include:
Kolt Buchenroth, agricultural communication of Kenton
Sean Fitzsimmons, agriscience education of Wooster
Melanie Fuhrmann, community leadership of Wheelersburg
Solomon Garner, community leadership of Columbus
Courtney Heiser, agricultural communication of Attica
Allyson Irwin, community leadership of Jackson
Shea Leeper, agricultural communication of Marysville
Brenna Loxley, agriscience education of Arcanum
Allyson McCurdy, community leadership of Marion
Olivia Pflaumer, agriscience education of Chillicothe
Milan Pozderac, agriscience education of Fredericktown
Paige Schaffter, agriscience education, of Edon
Deja Reid, community leadership, of Columbus
Kayla Ritter, community leadership, of Brookville
“ACEL has outstanding students and we are excited to recognize these 14 seniors for their exceptional efforts in and outside of theclassrooms,” said Dr. Shannon Washburn, professor and chair of ACEL. “ We know they will succeed in their chosen career paths because of the dedication they have shown to their academics and community involvement.”
The ACEL Distinguished Seniors will be recognized at the Department’s virtual recognition program in April.
ACEL prepares communicators, educators and leaders in the food, agricultural, and environmental sciences to integrate research-based learning, practice and engagement, in ways that will advance positive changes that strengthen individuals, families and communities. For more information on the academic programs and research available in ACEL, or to donate to student scholarships, please visit acel.osu.edu.
2021 ASE Student Teachers
Each year the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership (ACEL) at the Ohio State University sends students to high schools around the state for 12 weeks to gain real world experience in the classroom. This year, 22 agricultural education programs welcomed student teachers who are seniors in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and agriscience education majors.
“’Doing to learn’ is a key part of the motto for the National FFA Organization, so it only makes sense for our agriscience education student teachers to be in the classroom environment getting hands on experience,” said Dr. Shannon Washburn, professor of agriscience education and chair of ACEL. “Student teaching prepares our students for their future roles in the classroom by allowing them to lead an agriscience education program with the aid of experienced agriscience teachers. Aside from carrying out lesson plans in a classroom, agriculture teachers serve as FFA advisors where they host chapter meetings, help students with career development events, and coach competition teams. This experience allows them to see into their future and get excited for the next step in their career.”
The participating students and schools are as follows:
Haley Back – Highland High School
Hayley Black – Meadowbrook High School
Nicole Biery – Northeastern High School
Micayla Fincham – Northwestern High School
Sean Fitzsimmons – Smithville High School
Jessie Howald – Caldwell High School
Seth Johnson – Tecumseh High School
Brenna Loxley – Edgewood High School
Samantha McAllister – Gamble Montessori High School
Rebecca McCarty – Hilsdale High School
Adrianne McPhillips – Urbana High School
Maddi Morlock – Otsego High School
Olivia Pflaumer – Global Impact STEM Academy
Milan Pozderac – Fairfield Union High School
MaKayla Risner – River Valley High School
Travis Rutledge – Edison High School
Paige Schaffter – Pettisville High School
Robert Selvey – Tiffin Sentinel CTC
Davis Sodders – Licking Valley High School
Katie Stokes – Bloom Carroll High School
Jamie Walter – West Muskingum High School
Ashlee Williams – Utica High School
Agriscience education is one of three undergraduate majors within ACEL. This major prepares students to acquire a license to teach agricultural science in secondary high schools through extensive training in agriculture science, educational psychology, instructional methods and youth development. For additional information on the agriscience education major or how you can make a financial contribution to student scholarships, visit acel.osu.edu.
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Nicole McMullen, a junior agriscience education major at The Ohio State University, has been selected to be a member of the Agriculture Future of American (AFA) Student Advisory Team. The Student Advisory Team is made up of 11 students from across the nation after a competitive application process.
AFA is a professional development organization for collegiate leaders and young professionals. Providing leader development, intern support and scholarships, AFA seeks to be a catalyst in the preparation of a new generation of agriculture leaders. A major component of the Student Advisory Team’s responsibilities is the planning and delivery of the 2021 AFA Leader Development Program, specifically the AFA Leaders Conference, held annually with more than 1,000 delegates from across the nation.
“Our department is extremely proud of Nicole for seeking out the opportunity to enhance her leadership skills with an organization like AFA,” said Dr. Shannon Washburn, professor and chair of the Department Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership. “Through her involvement with AFA, MANRRS and her internship experiences, she is preparing herself to be an outstanding agricultural educator to her future students.”
“I value the AFA leader development program because they provide a variety of opportunities to grow personally and professionally. These programs focus on having students look at things from a different perspective,” said McMullen. “I am excited to serve as an AFA student leader because I can network with individuals across the country. This will give me the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of the agriculture industry and gain a new perspective.”
McMullen’s entrance into the AFA leader development programs began in 2018 when she was selected to attend the AFA Leaders Conference as a freshman at the Ohio State ATI campus in Wooster, Ohio. Since then, she has attended the AFA Leaders Conference each year and participated in the AFA Leader Fellowship. In addition to her involvement with AFA, she has also been active in other organizations including Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Admissions Ambassador for Ohio State ATI Institute and the Ohio Corn & Wheat Association.
About agriscience education
Agriscience education is one of three undergraduate majors within ACEL. This major prepares students to acquire a license to teach agricultural science in secondary schools through extensive training in agriculture science, educational psychology, instructional methods and youth development. For additional information on the agriscience education major or how you can make a financial contribution to student scholarships, visit acel.osu.edu.
About AFA
AFA builds bridges for young leaders to foster engagement and innovation in food and agriculture. With program participation increasing 28% in the last five years, AFA has provided 21,000 leader development experiences to college leaders and young professionals from more than 200 colleges and universities throughout 43 states since its inception in 1996. AFA has awarded more than $10 million in academic and leader development scholarships. For more information about AFA, visit www.agfuture.org or contact Becca Frazier at becca.frazier@agfuture.org.