The PIE Center is excited to share the 2020-2021 annual report highlighting the center’s accomplishments in research, outreach, and education. Read director Ricky Telg’s reflection on the past year below.
As our team looks to the future, we know it is important to be creative and innovative in all of our endeavors. This year, we contributed to exciting new projects that have helped us forge connections with stakeholders, researchers and the general public. Our numerous research initiatives and continued collaborations with partner programs demonstrate our team’s diverse skillset and commitment to producing high-quality social science research and outreach materials.
Our new podcast, Science by the Slice, offers a platform for scientists across the country to discuss pressing issues, such as COVID-19 and mental health in agriculture. Social science experts from the PIE Center contribute to the conversation by providing information on how people make decisions related to these issues.
Understanding how media impacts the public’s decision- making process is vital to our work as a center. We are excited to partner with stakeholders throughout the state to use perception analyzer dials to gather second-by-second perceptions. If you are interested in partnering with us to use this new technology, please reach out to me.
Our team has been innovative with how we have addressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture and natural resources sectors. Angie Lindsey worked quickly to connect 80 Extension professionals and agricultural leaders with mental health first aid training after we learned of the mental health impacts of the pandemic. Lauri Baker has been working with the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement (CREE) to investigate how the pandemic impacted farm and food supply chains. This research will help communities better prepare for future disruptions to the food supply chain.
The PIE Center continues to work with the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS), serving on the project’s Outreach Core. As COVID-19 vaccines were introduced at the end of 2020, the PIE Center and SCCAHS partnered with UF Health to develop vaccine communication resources to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, including a comprehensive vaccine communication toolkit. The PIE Center continues to play a prominent role on the Outreach Core as the team develops a grant renewal strategy that will provide extended support for the SCCAHS and PIE Center to address issues related to agricultural health and safety.
The unprecedented events of the past year have prompted the PIE Center to be responsive to emerging research and outreach needs, especially those that are close to home. The PIE Center received a request from UF/IFAS Vice President Scott Angle to conduct research to understand the perspective of agricultural producers related to best management practices (BMPs) and the Clean Waterways Act (Senate Bill [SB] 712). Faculty and staff responded swiftly to conduct a statewide producer survey and three focus groups with UF/IFAS Extension faculty in early 2021. Among the major findings, results indicated a need to update BMP research and to enhance educational materials.
The PIE Center also provided key insights to UF/IFAS administration as they plan for the future of UF/IFAS and UF/IFAS Extension. Our team conducted listening sessions and focus groups to provide data to help develop the next Florida Extension Roadmap, as well as collect public perceptions of UF/IFAS to assist in IFAS’s new strategic planning process.
In addition to serving our agricultural and natural resources stakeholders, the PIE Center continues to serve the discipline of agricultural communications by mentoring up-and-coming communicators through internships and graduate assistantships. Investing in our students secures a promising future for the field of social sciences.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our center has demonstrated the ability to adapt and overcome. Our efforts in research, outreach and education have allowed us to connect with individuals around the nation. We look forward to expanding these connections and reaching new horizons in the coming years.
Sincerely,
Ricky Telg
Director and Professor
