The Hoot, Fall 2021

Global Agriculture

A knowledge of global agriculture is important for all future leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber industry. The faculty and students in the Department of Agricultural Education, Leadership and Communications have become important players in the global agriculture movement around the country. This fall Jeremy Falk and Kasee Smith, Ph.D.'s, along with undergraduates, took part in the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogues in Des Moines, Iowa in October. This is part of a USDA-NIFA grant titled World Food Prize Global Orientation to Agricultural Learning. Falk and Smith are partnering with colleagues from Pennsylvania State University and the World Food Prize Foundation to develop a global agriculture curriculum which will be presented by undergraduate students in secondary agriculture programs in 2022. In addition, the department hopes to offer a World Food Prize Youth Institute in Idaho in 2023.

The department continues to offer Ag Ed 406 Exploring International Agriculture. Unfortunately, Bob Haggerty, Ph.D., CALS director of International Programs has not been able to offer Ag Ed 407 international study abroad trips due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to these trips returning in 2023.

Sarah Bush, Ph.D. continues her involvement with the Association for International Agriculture and Extension Education as the professional development chair. This group consists of agricultural education, leadership and communications faculty from institutions around the world. Bush will be attending the upcoming 2022 AIAEE Conference in Greece in the spring.

Global agriculture is a critical component of our academic program in the department. We challenge all students to get involved by participating in these courses, conferences, or teaching activities to improve knowledge and experiences in the global agriculture industry.

Jim Connors, Department Head
Department of Agricultural and Extension Education

By the numbers

• Undergraduate students —104
• Graduate students — 9
• Agricultural education — 60
• Agricultural science, communication and leadership — 47 (34 on campus, 13 off campus)
• M.S. agricultural education — 9
• Total students — 113

Student spotlight — Emiliano McLane

Emiliano McLane is the first in his immediate family to pursue a bachelor’s degree and make a difference in his family legacy. Coming from various Native American tribes across the west coast, McLane has paved the way to make his family proud of his successes. McLane is originally from South Fork Lee, Nevada, where he is an enrolled member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone. McLane grew up on 80 acres where his family raised cattle and grew hay.

McLane is a senior studying agricultural science, communication and leadership with the hope to educate others about agriculture in the future, but he also has a passion for research and environmental work. McLane earned his associate’s degree in agriculture business, leadership, and education through the College of Western Idaho. Being a part of the 2+2 program paved the way for McLane to become a Vandal. “Having the opportunity to go to the University of Idaho gave me confidence, and it means the world to me that I am here.”

McLane has a passion for agriculture and research and has had amazing internship opportunities and been granted scholarships to help continue his education. In the past five years, McLane had the opportunity to complete four internships that primarily focused on research, and was able to travel to amazing places such as Washington, D.C. for the American Geophysical Union Conference.

This year, McLane was awarded a scholarship from the Advancing Agriculture Science Opportunities for Native Americans. Through this program he attended leadership conferences in Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.

McLane has a vision of his future, and attending graduate school is his main focus. He plans to continue being a Vandal by pursuing a master of natural resources in environmental education and science communication at the McCall campus. McLane recently applied for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which if granted, will allow McLane to finish his schooling. Having more hands-on experience will allow him to continue advancing his ability to educate others on agriculture while also focusing on research early on in his career.

For advice for future students at the University of Idaho, McLane expresses the importance of staying involved for an unforgettable college experience. “Being in the Agricultural Education, Leadership and Communications Department really opened me up to expressing myself more often and better since starting the program. I also communicate better academically and in my personal life. It also allows me to reflect on what kind of leader I want to be and what steps I have to take to get there.” — Written by Abigail Zurcher

Returning to the classroom

Constantly striving to grow and improve is what motivated professor and student teaching coordinator, Kattlyn Wolf, Ph.D. to venture on a one semester sabbatical. Wolf spent the spring 2021 semester teaching part time at the Troy High School, in Troy where she also worked alongside Sam Hoffman AELC alum and current THS agriculture education instructor. Together, Hoffman and Wolf worked to teach and grow as instructors. Wolf described her time spent teaching as being similar to a student teaching experience, without being new to teaching. Wolf further explained the goal was to refresh her knowledge of secondary schools and reconnect with students in this age group.

Wolf’s passion for educating youth about agriculture runs deep and has roots back to when she was involved in 4-H and FFA as a member. As a Wyoming State FFA Officer, Wolf began to truly realize her passion for teaching. “I really never considered teaching anything else — the vast array of possibilities open to students is very motivating to me.” It was this passion that fueled Wolf to return to the high school classroom, as well as continue to grow as a professor. The feeling of growth motivates Wolf to continue to learn new things in and out of the classroom.

Outside of the classroom, the Laramie, Wyoming native enjoys spending time with her family and watching them grow through 4-H and local athletics. Looking forward, Wolf continues to be motivated by the potential of her students and the relationships that can be created through teaching. This time spent in the high school classroom will continue to benefit Wolf as she provides leadership to our next generation of agricultural educators. — Written by Julia Dondero

Alumni check-in — Rikki Ruiz

Brave and bold — a mindset that the Vandals and Vandal alumna, Rikki Ruiz both share. The mindset of never underestimating your potential has led Ruiz and her small business, The Frosted Cowgirls boutique to success.

The Pocatello native now calls New Plymouth home and will always be a proud member of the Vandal family. After receiving a masters in agricultural education and a bachelors in agricultural industry, management and communications, Ruiz began her career and spent 12 years as a University of Idaho Extension educator. During this time, she also created the western fashion boutique, The Frosted Cowgirls.

The boutique was founded almost 12 years ago and has grown to have a storefront in Fruitland, an online store and a mobile boutique that travels to rodeos across the region. “If someone feels beautiful, their confidence lifts, and they are empowered. When I see someone light up because they feel radiant, it’s the best feeling to me,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz turned her dream into reality when her husband and fellow Vandal alumnus, Cody Ruiz opened the cowboy hat shop, Cody’s Cowboy Hats. In reflection of her time at U of I, Ruiz expresses how majoring in agricultural communications gave her the confidence to go after her dreams, as well as developed her speaking, teaching and supervising skills. As proud Vandal alumni, the Ruizes have built businesses with a large impact on the local community and western industry.

Today, the Ruiz family is still heavily involved in agriculture in many aspects, including Ruiz Livestock, a cattle trucking business. The Ruizes also have two daughters, ages 10 and 7. The business is truly a family affair, as Ruiz explains. “They pick the clothing, they model them, they market them, and they ship the items they sell,” Ruiz said. We believe that involving them in the business is teaching valuable life skills.” — Written by Julia Dondero

Student teacher placements, spring 2022

• Sophie Cowgill — Deer Park, Washington
• Ashton Davis — Lakewood, Washington
• Loren Eells — Homedale
• Jade Etelu — Filer
• Tanner Ferry — Troy
• Nathan Kieffer — Liberty, Washington
• Bethany Newtson — Quincy, Washington
• Kendyl Puller — Tillamook, Oregon
• Brittany Spangler — Middleton
• Savannah Stroebel — American Falls
• Emma Winkle — Genesee
• Ellie Wolcik — Nampa
• Shaylee Perry — Richland, Washington

Department awards

• Hannah Ruth Pettyjohn — CALS Outstanding Freshman of the Year, Spring 2021
• Kattlyn Wolf, Ph.D. — Teacher of the Year: Career and Technical Educators of Idaho
• Kasee Smith, Ph.D. — Outstanding Early Career Member for Western Region AAAE
• Spring 2021 AGED 301 Class — Western Region AAAE Outstanding Manuscript

Alumni check-in — Sam Hoffman

Growing up on a 2,500 acre row crop farm nestled on the Palouse started Sam Hoffman’s passion for agriculture. Starting in junior high school, Hoffman knew that he wanted to be an agricultural educator. He is now halfway through his sixth year as an agricultural educator at Troy High School.

Hoffman graduated with a degree in agricultural education from the University of Idaho in 2016. Starting at a young age, Hoffman always had a passion for the FFA organization, and that is what keeps his passion for teaching alive. Hoffman’s favorite thing about being a teacher is “helping students find their passion in the organization.”

This past year, he had the opportunity to work with our department’s own Kattlyn Wolf, Ph.D. He agreed to this research project to help prepare pre-service teachers. This allowed Hoffman to see ways he can improve as a teacher through Wolf’s advice, by comparing notes and finding ways to focus more in-depth on curriculum and SAE projects for his classes.

Hoffman had amazing experiences and memories during his time at the University of Idaho. One of his favorite memories was graduation. “I had just started dating my wife and she came to the commencement. We took a picture together afterwards, and that picture is still the lock screen on my phone. It was a great day spent with friends and I was so excited to start a new chapter in my life.”

The most rewarding thing about being an agricultural educator in Hoffman’s eyes is “watching your students reach their full potential. I love being able to motivate students and watch them succeed. It could be in FFA or in the classroom. I will never get tired of that feeling. It makes the long days worth it.” One of Hoffman’s proudest moments was having his past student, Katy Doumit as his first student from Troy to run for a National FFA Officer position. “The school and the chapter are so proud of her regardless of if she receives an office or not.” — Written by Abigail Zurcher

AGED spotlight — Loren Eells

With a passion for learning and a plan to share that passion with students, Loren Eells is currently in his third and final year as an agricultural education student. The New Plymouth native is planning to graduate early and become an agriculture teacher. Eells explained, “I love learning and I think that’s why I’m called to it as well because there are so many different aspects of agriculture.” With a strong background in agriculture and FFA, becoming an agricultural educator felt like a perfect fit for Eells. Support from many aspects of Eells’ life has played a large role in his success and ambition. Being the first in his family to go to college has inspired Eells to not only become a teacher and achieve a higher education, but to teach his future students valuable life skills. “My parents have helped me out and my family has just been really supportive of me getting a higher education,” Eells said.

The support from his professors and colleagues within the department has also greatly impacted Eells’ professional and academic career. Having a group of tight-knit and encouraging fellow student teachers has provided Eells with the support necessary to succeed. Eells also described the important relationships he has developed with his professors in the AELC department. He credits their support and willingness to help as an influential factor in his passion for studying agricultural education. Eells has also found support across campus, including his fraternity, Theta Chi and multiple clubs in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Eells is planning to graduate in spring 2022. He is eagerly anticipating becoming a teacher and sharing his love for learning with students. Regardless of how difficult the classes became, Eells recognized his passion for teaching agriculture and has enjoyed the challenge. With an exciting future ahead, Eells will always be a proud member of the Vandal family. — Written by Julia Dondero

The transition of FFA to college

Being goal oriented often means asking the question of what’s next after accomplishments. Receiving my American degree has been six years of hard work and a wonderful experience that has afforded me so many opportunities. There’s often a time of reflection and relief after you wrap up a chapter in your life. My FFA chapter has been truly amazing, and being able to finish it with such a high honor with my twin sister was so special. My parents were there to support us which made the memory even more dear to my heart. I cannot thank my hometown community, my three impactful advisors, or the Cambridge FFA Chapter enough for making this door in my life the most bittersweet to close. I will forever be an advocate for youth development organizations because of the opportunities to succeed they offer to youth. The week at the National FFA Convention continued to solidify my passion of sharing the story of agriculturalists around our nation.

I am thankful for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences for allowing students like me to continue to improve and refine our skills, as well as fuel our passion for agriculture. As I look down the hall of my future there are many doors waiting to be opened and I know that FFA and CALS have prepared me to open those. — Written by Lauren DeVries

Collaborating to increase food security education

Kasee Smith and Jeremy Falk, Ph.D.s, in collaboration with faculty at Pennsylvania State University and the World Food Prize Foundation, were awarded a USDA NIFA Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grant for their project entitled Increasing Agricultural Teacher Candidate Proficiency in Food Security Education. As a part of this grant, students from the University of Idaho, Pennsylvania State University and Mississippi State University traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to attend the Borlaug Dialogues and participate in the first year of the Global Orientation to Agricultural Learning (GOALS) program. Seven of the 16 participants were our department’s very own, Jordyn Bettencourt, Anthony Jefferies, Bridget Black, Kaelie Brown, Shasta Richardson, Morgan Schulz and Alec Vineyard along with Smith and Falk.

The Borlaug Dialogue, as a part of the World Food Prize, is held annually. The Borlaug Dialogue brings together over 1,200 people from more than 65 countries to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition every year. During the conference, the student attendees had the opportunity to participate in various workshops through the GOALS program that included attending the Laureate ceremony, participating in discussions around global food security, developing teaching strategies and behaviors through GOALS workshops, and gathering curriculum to be taught in high school agricultural education programs in spring 2022.

This was a great experience for our department’s students and this new knowledge they learned will help them in their future classrooms as agriculture educators by increasing global citizenship for both participants and secondary students, increasing pedagogical skills for program participants, and heightening access to global agriculture curriculum for all agricultural educators. — Written by Abigail Zurcher

A note from the editors

We are so thankful to have been able to produce this semester newsletter. A lot of work and exploration was done to create this. We are already excited to get started on the next semester newsletter. Kiera, Abigail and Julia are all agricultural science, communication and leadership majors. This newsletter is supervised by Sarah Bush, Ph.D.