Department News

Rural Prosperity Nebraska Begins Institute of Excellence for Community Leaders

Lindsay Hastings facilitating a conversation at the Rural Prosperity Nebraska

The Rural Prosperity Nebraska has announced registration is open for the 2023 session of the Institute of Excellence.

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Monty Larsen, ALEC Lecturer, is in the Faculty Spotlight!

Monty Larsen
Meet Monty Larsen, a lecturer in the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication Department at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln.

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Nebraska Rural Poll shows rural residents are concerned about drought

Platte River in 2022

“These trends in rural Nebraska are similar to what we’re seeing across the country,” said Heather Akin, assistant professor of strategic communication at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. “Direct experiences with extreme weather tend to evoke more concern about climate change, but we’re also seeing more uncertainty in terms of how people think their communities will manage in the future.” The Grand Island Independent | December 18, 2022

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Rural Nebraska voice water quality concerns in UNL Rural Poll

Water being tested

“A goal of the Nebraska Rural Poll is to give rural Nebraskans a voice on issues affecting their communities and the state, including their views and concerns related to natural resources,” said Heather Akin, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at Nebraska. “The majority of rural Nebraskans are satisfied with their access to clean water but expressed concern about contaminants.” Journal Democrate | December 8, 2022

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McElravy and Nebraska Rural Poll Featured on RFD-TV

Dr. LJ McElravy

A survey of 1,105 rural Nebraska households revealed residents are generally pessimistic about the economy. The survey was given to provide a voice to rural Nebraska, focusing on the economy and employment within the state. Nebraska Today | November 10, 2022

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Applications for Rural Fellowship program now open

Rural Fellows Alicia Pannell (left), Tori Pedersen (second from left) and Janet Kabetesi (fifth from left) and community fellows Andrea McClintic (fourth from left) and Stephanie Novoa (right) are pictured with Lt. Gov. Mike Foley (third from left) at the Fox Theater ribbon cutting in Cozad.

For both students and communities, the application window opened Oct. 1. Applications can be found here. Webinars for community leaders interested in hosting student fellows will be held on Zoom at 10 a.m. Oct. 19 and 1 p.m. Oct. 21. Nebraska Today | October 4, 2022

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ALEC Associate Professor of Practice, Eric Knoll, innovations strengthen instruction and builds partnerships

Eric Knoll and students, Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing

Knoll heads ALEC’s Skilled and Technical Sciences (STS) teacher training program, and his innovations have strengthened instructional curricula and facilitated partnerships with industry, Nebraska community colleges and the state’s Department of Education.

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Kreifels shares Nebraska U's plan to bolster ag education teacher retention

Matt Kreifels

Matt Kreifels, an associate professor of agricultural leadership, education and communications, appeared on RFD-TV on April 20 to talk about the university’s plans to bolster recruitment, support and retention of high school agriculture education instructors.

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New ALEC hires aim to boost Nebraska ag teacher preparation, support

(From left) Becky Haddad, Monty Larsen and Troy White

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication department on April 6 announced major steps to strengthen agricultural teacher training and support.

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Support ALEC and GLOW ALL IN

AESC Students and Dr. Taylor Ruth

The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication has been educating extraordinary teachers, leaders, and communicators for over 100 years. We prepare students for successful careers in the agricultural industry, secondary agriscience instruction, extension education, environmental sciences communication, youth development, and more. We are committed to the continuous development of our faculty and staff.

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