NACTA Newsletter - March 2025 (Central Region)
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
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Posted by: NACTA
March 2025 (Standard)
NACTA President Cheryl Wachenheim's Message
NACTA 2025 Judging Conference
NACTA 2025 Experiential Learning Webinar
NACTA 2025 Conference Schedule
NACTA Journal Updates
New NACTA Members
NACTA Bylaws Amendment Reminder
Renew Your NACTA Membership
Featured NACTA Central Region Member: Dr. Logan Britton
Featured NACTA Central Region Student Member: Endy Lopes Kailer
NACTA Central Region Teaching Tip
NACTA Roundup with President Cheryl Wachenheim
As I prepare these comments in mid-February, I reflect that we have had an interesting month to be certain, with each new day bringing news stories prompting discussion and reflection. I know I have gained a new appreciation of many things I previously took for granted and have had the opportunity for thoughtful discussions about important topics with so many folks in my life.
Within our organization, in each of the past two months, we had experiential learning webinars, the first two of five in the series. A special shout-out to the Experiential Learning Committee. This is just one of many examples in our organization of a good idea having evolved into a great value-added offering for our membership. Thank you to everyone who participated, and especially those who have worked with their institutions to sign up for the series.
It has also been fun t see so many members recognized for their annual conference and teams registering for the Judging Conference. I look forward to the amazing tours, workshops, presentations, and other activities planned for the Annual NACTA Conference and the opportunity to attend the Judging Conference. My favorite part of the NACTA events is being able to see everyone this spring and summer. Look forward to seeing everyone out there at the first annual NACTA Conference Run!
Thinking ahead to the spring and summer events brings warmth to my heard and mind. As I write this, the morning temperature here in Fargo is 21 degrees below Fahrenheit, which my son helpfully pointed out is the same temperature difference from the freezing point as is 85 degrees. He also asked whether I thought February liked March? I responded of course, knowing March 20th marks the first day of spring. "No," he replied, "but April May."
Have an amazing day and enjoy March!
Cheryl
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NACTA 2025 Judging Conference
Registration for the NACTA 2025 Judging Conference is closing soon! The deadline to register is Tuesday, March 4, 2025!
This year's Judging Conference is April 9-12 at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.
For more information on the NACTA 2025 Judging Conference, click here.
To register for the NACTA 2025 Judging Conference, click here.
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NACTA 2025 Experiential Learning Webinar
NACTA is excited to welcome Dr. Chyi-Lyi "Kathleen" Liang, of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, as the third presenter for the NACTA 2025 Experiential Learning Webinar! Liang's presentation is titled "How to Use Technology to Provide Experiential Learning" and will take place for the third session of the webinar series at 1:00 PM EDT Friday, March 21, 2025.
In this session, Dr. Liang will lead discussions on how technology can enhance experiential learning experiences, such as virtual reality simulations, online collaborations, and digital portfolios. With constrained travel budgets, how might we use technological tools to meet the next generations and deliver innovative low-cost learning options?
Please note that this is the only session in the series to take place on a Friday. All others are on Wednesdays.
For more information on the NACTA 2025 Experiential Learning Webinar Series, click here.
To register for the series, click here.
Keep an eye on your inbox for further updates and information about the 2025 NACTA Experiential Learning Webinar Series!
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NACTA 2025 Conference Schedule
North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) is pleased to present the schedule for the upcoming NACTA Conference, June 2-6, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada!
This year's conference will feature Blue Ribbon Speaker Frank Robinson, Keynote Speaker Connie Varnhagen, both of the University of Alberta, poster and oral presentations, 11 workshops, tours, networking opportunities, and more!
To view the full NACTA 2025 Conference schedule, click here.
Fore more conference information and to register, click here.
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NACTA Journal Updates - December 2024, January 2025
Founded in 1963, The NACTA Journal is a professional refereed journal published by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA). It is directed toward the scholarship of teaching and learning and the professional advancement of the teaching of agriculture and related disciplines. The NACTA Journal presents papers on all aspects of teaching, including methods, problems, philosophy, and rewards. The Journal offers something for every teacher in agriculture or a related discipline. Whether traditional classroom or extension-related, its primary purpose is to strengthen professional competence in college and adult teaching.
December 2024:
- 7 Submissions Received
- 3 Published
January 2025:
- 5 submissions Received
- 2 Published
For more information on the NACTA Journal, and to submit a manuscript or teaching tip, click here.
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New NACTA Members
NACTA has 9 new members since our last newsletter. We hope you will join us in welcoming them!
Canadian
Sameeha Jhetam
Central
Danielle Bellmer, OK
Cameron Hall, IA
Kent McKinnis, KS
Reagan Cavanaugh, NE
Western
Jaysa Fillmore, ID
Eastern
Thomas Stephenson, NC
Southern
Karissa Palmer, TX
Clint Edmonds, GA
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NACTA Bylaws Amendment Reminder
Just a reminder! Did you know that any five NACTA members can present bylaw amendments to the secretary/treasurer with a deadline of 30 days prior to the annual conference (Starting on Monday, June 2, 2025) thus a Friday, May 2, 2025 deadline to send to the NACTA Secretary. Please note the NACTA Parliamentarian is willing to assist any membership group!
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Renew Your NACTA Membership
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!
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NACTA Central Region News
Featured Member: Dr. Logan Britton
Dr. Logan Britton is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University. He specializes in agribusiness supply chains, consumer behavior, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. His research explores consumer decision-making within the food and agriculture sectors, focusing on how individuals navigate risk, uncertainty, and tradeoffs in food purchases. He employs experimental methods, including choice experiments and best-worst scaling, to analyze consumer preferences. His work has been featured in Food Quality and Preference, Agribusiness: An International Journal, the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, and Future Foods.
In addition to his research, Dr. Britton is committed to teaching and mentoring. He teaches courses in agricultural finance, agribusiness logistics, decision tools, and contemporary global food and agricultural systems. He also mentors Ph.D. students in their teaching development, advises undergraduate students, and supports student organizations. His dedication to education has earned him recognition from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Southern Agricultural Economics Association, and the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA Educator Award).
When designing his courses, Dr. Britton takes a value-added approach, aligning lectures and student learning outcomes with the skills needed in the workforce. He emphasizes experiential learning through real-world case studies, interactive simulations, and computer-based decision models to prepare students for agribusiness careers. He reinforces this approach by being student-focused and showing genuine interest in their lives, development, and careers. “Students want you to engage with them. They want to know not only what you know but also if you care about them. Show them a desire to know their name, why they are in your class, what they hope to learn, and where they want to go beyond their formal education.”
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Featured Student Member: Endy Lopes Kailer
Endy Lopes Kailer is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Agronomy at Kansas State University, where she has taught over 600 students in the past three years. Originally from Piedade do Rio Grande, Brazil, Endy earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agronomy from Universidade Federal de Viçosa – Brazil. Endy was also a visiting student at the University of Kentucky. The courses Endy teaches include Soils, Soils Laboratory, Soil Microbiology, Soil Microbiology Laboratory, Biology of the Fungi, World Food Crops and Human and Cultural Diversity in the Food and Agricultural Sciences. For Endy, teaching is much more than just delivering information. The information has always been out there, but we are the ones who can bring it in a memorable manner that will catch the students’ attention and generate lifelong positive experiences. Endy’s teaching style is centered on bringing complex information in a more ‘digestible manner’ that students can relate to by bringing real-life examples to class, using dynamic and visually appealing lectures, promoting group discussions, and lots of hands-on activities. Endy always tries to explain critical concepts in a simple way to show that complex topics can be easily understood if presented in a familiar way. Endy also often brings to class exciting materials such as soil samples, live plants, and organisms/structures preserved in resin blocks for the students to observe and interact with. This approach has allowed her to create a more interactive and memorable classroom experience. The use of hands-on materials not only makes her classes more engaging but also allows students to better understand and connect with the subject matter.
Teaching Tip: Bring real-life materials to your lectures! Students engage more and retain information better when they can see, touch, and interact with the subject firsthand. Hands-on experiences bridge the gap between theory and practice, making your lectures much more impactful and memorable.
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Teaching Tip: Leveling Up Your Classroom Game
Being a college professor is a bit like being a wizard. you wield great knowledge, but your spells (ahem, lectures) sometimes need a little extra magic to keep students engaged. Whether you are teaching a room full of eager freshmen or seasoned grad students, having the right teaching resources can make all the difference.
So, let us talk about some game-changing, creativity-boosting, student-engaging resources that will make your teaching more effective (and way more fun).
1. The Power of Interactive Tech: Engaging Beyond the Lecture
Keeping students engaged in a college classroom can feel like a never-ending quest, but luckily, technology has your back! Imagine turning those dreaded quizzes into a fast-paced, game-show-style showdown; enter Kahoot! (kahoot.com) and Quizizz (quizizz.com). Want to add some instant interaction to your lectures? Poll Everywhere (polleverywhere.com) and Mentimeter (mentimeter.com) are like secret weapons for student engagement. Whether you are sparking discussions, checking comprehension, or just seeing how many students actually read the assignment (spoiler: not as many as you would hope), these live polling tools make participation effortless and fun.
And let us talk about video learning—because let us be honest, students love videos. But instead of letting them zone out while watching, EdPuzzle (edpuzzle.com) turns passive viewing into an interactive experience. You can embed questions, pause for discussions, and keep students engaged while they learn. No more blank stares at the screen
2. Active learning strategies
Lectures alone can sometimes feel like a snooze-fest, both for students and professors. That is where active learning strategies come in, transforming passive listeners into engaged participants. One of the simplest yet most effective methods is Think-Pair-Share, where students take a moment to think about a question, discuss it with a partner, and then share their thoughts with the class. It is quick, easy, and gets even the quietest students talking. Want to take it up a notch? Try simulations, where students step into real-world scenarios...whether they are farmers making precision ag decisions or policymakers tackling environmental challenges. And if you are feeling extra creative, why not turn your classroom into an escape room? By designing puzzles and challenges based on course material, students must work together, apply critical thinking, and “break out” by solving problems. These strategies not only make learning more engaging but also boost retention, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
3. Self-Care for Professors (Avoid burnouts!!)
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but in reality it can also be exhausting. Between lesson planning, grading marathons, endless emails, and committee meetings, burnout can sneak up fast. That is why self-care isn’t just a luxury IT IS A NECESSITY. First up, time management apps like Forest and Pomodoro timers can work wonders, keeping you focused while preventing that dreaded grading rabbit hole where time disappears. Need a quick mental reset? Apps like Headspace and Insight Timer offer short guided meditations, perfect for decompressing between classes or before diving into another pile of student essays. And do not forget the power of collegial support networks. Sometimes, just venting to another professor who gets it can be the best stress relief. We all need a "coffee walk" buddy. Whether it is joining an online forum, connecting with a mentorship group, or simply grabbing coffee with a fellow educator, surrounding yourself with supportive colleagues keeps things in perspective.
Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint! So take care of yourself, recharge, and keep inspiring your students without burning out! You all are amazing.
Dr. Gaurav Jha
Central Region Director (NACTA) 
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