February 2022
In this issue:
APS-APLU Update from NACTA Representative Todd Winters
Registration for #NACTA22 is NOW OPEN!
NACTA Still Accepting 2022 Travel Grant Applications
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
New NACTA Members
Renew or Become a New NACTA Member
APS-APLU Update from NACTA Representative Todd Winters
The mission of the Academic Programs Section of the APLU is to assure that the development of human capital in agriculture, food, natural resources and related areas is a preeminent concern of the Land-Grant and State University System and its federal partners. This Section under the Board on Agriculture Assembly is comprised of the designated administrators of academic programs at the colleges of agriculture of all the states and territories.
The missions of APS-APLU and NACTA are very similar while reaching two similar audiences. NACTA membership primarily reflects teachers and advisors and APS-APLU reflects those in leadership. My main role as APS-APLU liaison is to share information and resources with the NACTA membership. Below, please find several upcoming events and deadlines of interest.
National Teaching Workshop Series
The Academic Programs Section (APS) will be hosting a series of online workshops featuring the awardees of the 2020 and 2021 USDA Teaching Awards to share their expertise and best practices with fellow instructors and faculty. Over the month of February sessions covering topics in Communicating Teaching Impact and Effectiveness, Sharing Effective Practices, and Advice for Early Career. Use the links below to register for each session.
Monday, February 7th from 3:00-4:00pm ET - Communicating Teaching Impact and Effectiveness
Join us for this session to discuss topics in alternative forms of evaluations and documenting teaching impact beyond the classroom. Our panelists will include:
- Liz Flaherty,Purdue University, 2020 USDA National recipient
- Kathrin Dunlap, Texas A&M University, 2021 Regional recipient
- Jamie Loizzo, University of Florida, 2021 Early Career recipient
- Gulnihal "Rose" Ozbay, Delaware State University, 2020 Regional recipient
Tuesday, February 15th from 4:00-5:30pm ET - Sharing Effective Practices
Learn from our past award recipients how to entertain students and connect emotionally with students, how to set up your online course with examples, various learning modalities, and how to be unapologetically enthusiastic. Our panelists will include:
- Wyatt Hoback,Oklahoma State University, 2020 Teaching and Student Engagement recipient
- Beatrix Haggard, Oklahoma State University, 2021 Early Career recipient
- Linda Yarrow, Kansas State University, 2021 Regional recipient
- Brian Whitaker, University of Findlay, 2020 Regional recipient
- Gulnihal "Rose" Ozbay, Delaware State University, 2020 Regional recipient
Thursday, February 17th from 4:00-5:00pm ET - Advice for Early Career
Hear advice for those in their early career from diverse institutions and how their faculty development has evolved. Learn what has changed in their teaching since they first began teaching, and what has surprised them.
- Pete Bettinger, University of Georgia, 2021 Regional recipient
- Kathrin Dunlap, Texas A&M University, 2021 Regional recipient
- Gulnihal "Rose" Ozbay, Delaware State University, 2020 Regional recipient
Innovative Teaching Award Applications
Applications for the 2022 Innovative Teaching Awards are now open. Innovative Teaching Awards are for faculty who wish to expand their scholarship of teaching and learning by providing innovative teaching and learning experiences for students. These awards should serve as a base or pilot for future grant proposals. There are two types of awards: interinstitutional and single institution. The intention of the interinstitutional awards is to build collaborative relationships between faculty at different institutions that take an innovative approach to teaching and learning in the food, agricultural, and natural resources disciplines. These awards also encourage the partnership and mentoring between seasoned faculty and junior faculty. Single institution awards focus on innovative teaching within a single institution and are often led by single PIs. Applications are due by April 3rd, 2022. Please click here for more information. To check your institution's eligibility please click here.
USDA Teaching Awards
To address the national priority of providing sufficient quality and quantity of graduates entering the food and agricultural sciences workforce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will offer—subject to the availability of funds—a National Awards Program for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences (hereafter referred to in this document as the "Awards Program").
The Awards Program is offered annually to honor excellence in teaching and learning by recognizing faculty from a college or university (as defined below) who both practice and promote effective and innovative teaching. Recipients must exhibit sustained, meritorious and exceptional teaching at the postsecondary level within the food and agricultural sciences. The Awards Program focuses national attention on the role of teaching and learning in recruiting and retaining the scientific and professional expertise essential to the future growth and progress of our nation's food and agricultural system. More information can be found here.
Registration for #NACTA22 is NOW OPEN!
We are pleased to announce that registration for the 2022 NACTA Conference, to be held June 20-24, 2022 is now open. At this annual meeting of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) you will be able to connect with and learn from others who share the same passion for the improvement of teaching and learning in agriculture, food and natural resources. The annual NACTA conference will provide you with new teaching techniques, ideas and resources. It is also one of the best professional development activities for networking with other teaching professionals where the common discipline is “teaching.”
Back in 2022 - Virtual Poster & Oral Presentations!
This year NACTA will offer both in-person and virtual registration options allowing authors the opportunity to choose their method of participation. All accepted poster and oral presentations will be available to both virtual and live attendees.
By registering for the conference you will gain access to your choice of workshops, each of the accepted poster presentations, oral presentations, award presentations and the annual business meeting. Some events, like the poster and oral presentations, will be presented on demand and available for 60 days after the meeting. Please note that you will need to register and be signed in to view any conference events or presentations.
Additional meeting details and registration can be found at www.nactaconference.org.
NACTA Still Accepting 2022 Travel Grant Applications
NACTA is still accepting applications for travel grants for the 2022 annual meeting in Wooster, Ohio, to be held June 21-24. The NACTA conference travel grants support those who wish to attend the annual meeting in June. The amount of the 2022 Travel Grants will be $500 and are meant to help cover expenses related to attendance at the NACTA annual meeting in Wooster, such as conference registration, lodging, and airfare. Any NACTA member who will attend the 2022 Annual Meeting is eligible to apply for one of ten grants to be given this year.
To be considered for the grant all applicants must submit a completed application to the form here by 5PM Eastern on February 15, 2022. If you have any questions or issues submitting your application please feel free to reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
National Teaching Workshop Series: Communicating Teaching Impact and Effectiveness
Feb 7, 2022
Virtual
2022 AAAE Southern Region Conference
February 13 - 15, 2022
New Orleans, LA
National Teaching Workshop: Sharing Best Practices
Feb 15, 2022
Virtual
National Teaching Workshop: Advice for Early Career
Feb 17, 2022
Virtual
NACTA Judging Conference
March 30 - April 2, 2022
North Platte, NE
NACTA had 49 new members in the last month. We hope you will join us in welcoming them!
| Stacy Adams - University of Nebraska- Lincoln | Sevendeep Kaur - University of Delaware |
| Bridget Baker - University of Florida | Kane Kinion - The Ohio State University |
| Fernanda Batistel | Larriann Livingston - Eastern Oklahoma State College |
| Sarah Brunnig - University of Florida | Fallys Masambuka-kanchewa - Iowa State University |
| Sahara Byrne - Cornell University | Lori Montgomery - Pratt Community College |
| Katie Corbitt - Auburn University | Mary Kate Morgan - North Carolina State University |
| Tammy Cushing - University of Florida | Javonne Mullins - Wilmington College |
| Amy Desaulniers - University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Tomas Nilsson - Olds College |
| Sarah Doore - University of Florida | Osler Ortez - The Ohio State University |
| Theodore Feitshans - NC State University | Fernanda Rezende - University of Florida |
| Jessie Fernandez - University of Florida | Scott Scheer - The Ohio State University |
| Shari Freyermuth - University of Missouri - Columbia | Andrew Sherfy - The University of Tennssee |
| Masa Fujimoto - University of Florida | Carlos Silva - University of Florida |
| Amador G Gonzales - New Mexico State University | Nitya Singh - University of Florida |
| Selena Garrison - University of Florida | Annie Specht - The Ohio State University |
| Ryan Good - University of Florida | Brennan Teddy - Clemson University |
| Philip Hahn - University of Florida | Grant Thompson - Iowa State University |
| William Hammond - University of Florida | Owen Thompson - Emmanuel Colege |
| Krystal Hans - Purdue University | Jessica Toombs - California State University, Chico |
| Brittney Heibel - Texas State University | Jonathan Velez |
| Stephanie Hubert - University of Arkansas | Adam Willcox - University of Tennessee |
| Joshua Hurdle | Kayce Williams - Montana State University |
| Dusti Ingles - Iowa State University | Sara Youngerman - Jackson State Community College |
| Cameron Jack - University of Florida | Feng Yue - University of Florida |
| Kellie Johnson - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | |
Renew or Become a New NACTA Member
NACTA is the largest professional development organization that focuses specifically on the scholarship of teaching and learning in agriculture, food and natural resources.
Need to renew your membership? Want to invite a colleague to join? Want to change your membership status? Visit the membership page here.
We appreciate your NACTA membership!
