CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 11/19/21

APLU, USDA NIFA honor ALEC faculty for exemplary teaching and student engagement

By Claire Sanders Kinnard

Two University of Georgia faculty members in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences were honored with national teaching awards recognizing their outstanding teaching and student engagement from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Nick Fuhrman, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC), received the USDA Excellence in College and University Teaching Award for Food and Agricultural Science, and James C. Anderson II, an associate professor in ALEC, was awarded a National Teaching and Student Engagement Award.

Teaching with animals

Nick Fuhrman's research interests are in non-formal teaching methods, program evaluation and the use of live animals as teaching tools for educators.

Fuhrman — who hosts a recurring “Ranger Nick” segment for the monthly Georgia Farm Monitor television show — is one of only two recipients of the national award, a celebration of innovative, engaging teaching efforts at land-grant universities.

Since joining the UGA faculty in 2008, Fuhrman has focused his research on the use of animals as ambassadors in environmental education. He uses that research to inform his classroom practices and train the next generation of agricultural and environmental educators.

“This is all I’ve wanted to do — from the time I was 7 years old in Maryland, I’ve always been interested in the way that environmental educators can use animals to convey their messages to the public,” Fuhrman said. “Teaching, both inside my classroom and in the community, is the best part of my job.”

Fuhrman teaches a number of undergraduate and graduate courses, with the most popular being his "Teaching with Animals" course. In this class, future agricultural and environmental science educators learn how to use animals as an avenue to teach their own students and their communities about environmental issues. During the course, students practice their teaching skills within the local Athens community through visits to Extra Special People (ESP), a nonprofit educational organization offering enrichment for students of all abilities.

“My hope is that my students get to see that there is a difference between just presenting and really teaching,” he said. “I want them to walk out of my classroom not only equipped with new teaching practices, but also with increased confidence, speaking skills and the desire to impact their communities.”

Leadership in agriculture

James Anderson shifted his focus to teaching leadership skills and researching leadership development in diverse settings.

Anderson’s award recognizes extraordinary efforts to increase engagement inside the classroom.

As a high school student in Chicago, Anderson became interested in agricultural education, which led him to become a high school agriculture teacher in the beginning of his career. Upon receiving his doctorate, he began teaching future agriculture educators and researching the best ways to create an engaging learning environment for students, both at the postsecondary and university levels.

“I would often hear from my students about the challenges they were experiencing in teaching students from different backgrounds, particularly students who did not have an agriculture background,” Anderson said. “Because of this, I shifted my practice to teach leadership skills and refocused my research on leadership in diverse settings.”

Anderson joined the UGA faculty in 2017 and teaches courses including "Leading Team and Organizational Development," "Leadership in a Global Society, and "I Lead: Transforming the Way You Think about Yourself and Others in the Era of Self-Gratification." He has also developed a study abroad course called "Agriculture, Organizational and Community Development in Morocco."

Anderson believes that his work to increase classroom leadership and engagement directly impacts the learning of both the teacher candidates inside his classroom and the students that will one day sit in their own classrooms.

“If a student does not feel connected to the instructor, it is hard to connect with the content, which makes it more difficult to engage in class and thus retain the content,” Anderson said.

To learn more about ALEC faculty and student opportunities in the department, visit alec.caes.uga.edu.

Claire Sanders is the senior public relations specialist in the CAES Dean and Director's Office.

Authors:
Claire Sanders Kinnard
Experts/Sources:
Nick Fuhrman
James C. Anderson, II
2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education. CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.
Food insecurity, indicated by a lack of consistent access to nutritious foods, continues to affect Georgia families and poses unique obstacles to charitable food assistance programs trying to address the need. CAES News
Unprecedented hunger study addresses gaps in food assistance programs 03/26/24 Cal Powell
Food insecurity, indicated by a lack of consistent access to nutritious foods, continues to affect Georgia families and poses unique obstacles to charitable food assistance programs trying to address the need. The 2023 Georgia Hunger Study, conducted by an interdisciplinary team of University of Georgia researchers in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Human Services and Feeding Georgia, found that 79% of households utilizing charitable food agencies reported experiencing food insecurity.
03 20 2024 Farm Stress Summit Allisen Penn and panel 048 CAES News
2024 Farm Stress Summit provides mental health resources for Georgia farm communities 03/25/24 Jordan Powers
As Georgia’s No. 1 industry, agriculture pumps billions of dollars into the state’s economy each year. While headlines often highlight Georgia’s commodities — peanuts, blueberries, poultry and more — one aspect of agriculture is often not discussed, the farmers themselves. At the 2024 Farm Stress Summit, held at the Chattahoochee Technical College Jasper campus, a few critical points were woven throughout each of the day’s sessions: The people are the most important part of Georgia’s agricultural industry, and the state needs to come together to help farmers and promote agricultural education and awareness.  
2024 Alumni Awards of Excellence winners CAES News
Outstanding alumni to be honored at 68th CAES Alumni Association Awards 03/13/24 Jordan Powers
Seven alumni from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be recognized at the 68th annual CAES Alumni Association Awards banquet on April 6. Two Georgia agricultural leaders will be inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the event, hosted at the Classic Center in Athens. “Georgia’s No. 1 industry — agriculture — is that because of the people that are part of the industry,” said Becca Turner, CAES Alumni Association board president.
A recent CAES study shows that consumers want retailers to provide basic information about the environmental impacts of local food when purchasing food online. CAES News
Consumer interest in sustainability should influence how retailers market local food 03/07/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Two recently published studies by University of Georgia researchers show that the consumers surveyed believe buying local is a more sustainable option, but they also value the convenience of online shopping and prefer that retailers provide basic information about the environmental impact of local products in the digital marketplace. Driven by increasing consumer interest in buying local and concerns about the impact of agricultural production systems on a changing climate, the studies were based on data from a web-based survey about consumer interest in sustainability, information about food production and online marketing preferences.
Exterior of the Administration Building front entrance on a blue sky spring day. CAES News
Newest round of Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants awarded 03/05/24 Olivia Randall
Ten university-wide projects devoted to advancing interdisciplinary research across multiple application areas have been awarded Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants as part of the 2023 cohort. The Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program was launched in 2017 and offered again in 2019 and 2021 through a partnership between the offices of Research and Public Service and Outreach. These 10 awards were chosen from 70 proposals and reflect a commitment of $1 million from UGA President Jere W. Morehead.