The UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center) received multiple awards from the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE), including awards in outreach, education, and research.
The PIE Center recently worked to develop diverse educational and outreach resources on topics related to agriculture, natural resources, and health and safety. Many of these resources were recognized for their excellence, and were awarded either a silver or bronze award. These awarded resources were made up of materials, such as social media campaigns, toolkits, print reports, and videos.
Learn more about each award-winning item below.
Harmful Algal Bloom Campaign – SILVER
Category: Issue Management
Team members: Sydney Honeycutt, Ashley McLeod-Morin, Phillip Stokes, Ricky Telg, Betty Staugler
Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae — simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater — grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, animals or ecosystems. Florida experiences HABs like red tide (caused by Karenia brevis in coastal waters) and blue-green algal blooms (caused by different species of cyanobacteria). The Florida Sea Grant program and UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education created a brand-new toolkit of educational materials to promote awareness of HABs and how they are detected and forecasted.
SCCAHS COVID-19 Crisis Communication for Extension and Agricultural Workers – SILVER
Category: Crisis Communication
Team members: Ashley McLeod-Morin, Michaela Kandzer, Phillip Stokes, Ricky Telg, Angie Lindsey, Lisa Lundy, Sydney Honeycutt, Valentina Castano, Tracy Irani, Nathalie Santa Maria
COVID-19 posed significant threats to the agricultural and natural resources sectors and the people employed by these sectors. The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) developed a COVID-19 training toolkit in 2020. This toolkit was a continuation of that resource and focuses on the communication of the COVID-19 vaccine.
SCCAHS SOS Mental Health White Paper – BRONZE
Category: Technical Publications
Team members: Michaela Kandzer, Ashley McLeod-Morin, Ricky Telg, Angie Lindsey, Lisa Lundy, Phillip Stokes, Sydney Honeycutt, Tracy Irani, Claire Mitchel
SCCAHS organized a State of the Science meeting, focusing on Stress and Resilience Among Agricultural Workers in Vulnerable Rural Communities. This white paper is based on a summary analysis of the meeting’s findings, the audience for which includes meeting attendees, SCCAHS Community Stakeholder Advisory Board (CSAB), scientists, public agencies, and policymakers.
Together, 2019/2020 Annual Report – BRONZE
Category: Annual and Special Reports
Team members: Ashley McLeod-Morin, Sydney Honeycutt, Alena Poulin, Michaela Kandzer
Together with others throughout the University of Florida and the agriculture and natural resources sectors, the PIE Center made significant contributions in the areas of research, outreach and education in 2019-2020. The PIE Center created this 2019-2020 annual report to highlight the great work done by the center.
COVID-19 video with Glenn Morris – BRONZE
Category: Educational Video
Team members: Phillip Stokes, Valentina Castano, Ricky Telg, Tracy Irani, Lisa Lundy, Angie Lindsey, Michaela Kandzer, Ashley McLeod-Morin
As a part of SCCAHS’s COVID-19 response, an educational video featuring Dr. Glenn Morris, director of SCCAHS, discusses COVID-19 testing and screening for agricultural workers.
Outstanding Research Paper – 1st Runner-up
Title: Framing Friction: A Content Analysis Investigating How the CDC Framed Social Media Communication with Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Michaela Kandzer, Valentina Castano, Lauri M. Baker, and Ashley McLeod-Morin
Outstanding Research Poster – 1st Runner-up
