Everett Martin and Team Win AAAE Presentation Awards

U Of A AECT Earns Multiple Honors At AAAE Conference

Bonnie Johnson
June 23, 2025
Media Article

Everett Martin and faculty from the University of Arkansas earn top recognition at the AAAE conference for agricultural leadership and research, showcasing excellence in agricultural education and communication studies.

Graduate students and faculty from the University of Arkansas Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology (AECT) recently earned top awards at the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) conference in Lubbock, Texas.

Only five out of 69 research papers submitted received Distinguished Research Manuscript honors. Two of these came from U of A. One paper, “Assessing the Job Market Value of Agricultural Leadership Degrees,” was authored by graduate assistant Everett Martin and assistant professor Casandra Cox.

The second, “Unlocking Participation: Identifying Barriers and Professional Development Needs for SBAE Teachers in Research SAEs,” was written by former graduate assistant Jessica Hall, Cox, assistant professor Will Doss, and associate professors Jill Rucker and Chris Estepp.

A refereed poster titled “Drivers of Technological Adoption in Beef Production: Insights from the Missouri Red Angus Association (6520),” by Martin, Cox, and instructor Grace Vehige, was named a Top 10 Research Poster.

Several other research projects were also presented, including “Understanding the Value and Purpose of Agricultural Leadership Programs” by Martin and Cox, and “Unpacking Research Productivity in Agricultural Education” by Martin, Estepp, Doss, and Johnson.

In addition to the presentations, Estepp currently serves as assistant treasurer for AAAE and will become treasurer in 2026. Cox has been selected as one of only 16 faculty nationwide to join Cohort 3 of the AAAE National Leadership Academy. University Professor Donald Johnson gave the invited AAAE Distinguished Lecture titled “A View from the Point Rows: Reflections on a Faculty Career.”

The AECT department, part of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, offers programs in agricultural communication, education, leadership, and systems technology management. AAAE supports social science research in agriculture and works to improve evidence-based education and policy.

Photo by: www.uark