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The Townsend Communication in Agriculture Program is an endowed effort of the Purdue University College of Agriculture and the College of Health and Human Sciences. Established by the Wayne Townsend family, the program is designed to build professional communication skills among undergraduate students in the food, agricultural, and environmental sciences. The program also offers educational resources to staff and faculty to integrate communication concepts in coursework and extracurricular activities as they relate to their field of expertise.

Your questions and suggestions are welcomed to help this program evolve and better serve students, faculty, and the agricultural industry.

Student Communication Competitions

Today's agriculture industry needs professionals with strong writing and speaking skills. Especially important is the ability to communicate with the public about food, agricultural and environmental issues.

Recognizing this need, the Purdue College of Agriculture offers two student competitions focused on writing and presentational speaking. The competitions have the following goals:

  • To help students build their professional writing and speaking skills
  • To showcase students' communication skills
  • To recognize and reward excellence in communication about food, agriculture, and the environment

 

For more information about participating in one or both competitions, visit the links below:

Awards

Competitions are judged separately with the following scholarship awards:

 

Writing Competition Presentational Speaking Competition
1st Place: $2,500 Scholarship 1st Place: $2,500 Scholarship
2nd Place: $1,500 Scholarship 2nd Place: $1,500 Scholarship
3rd Place: $750 Scholarship 3rd Place: $750 Scholarship

Awards will be presented at the 2013 Spring Awards Banquet. More information on this is coming soon.

 

Deadlines

  • March 25, 2013 - Students participating in the Presentational Speaking Competition must register to participate
  • April 1, 2013 - Entry submission deadline for both competitions

 

Townsend Communication in Agriculture Program Contacts:

Dr. Mark Tucker Dr. Abigail Borron
Professor, YDAE Assistant Professor, YDAE
matucker@purdue.edu aborron@purdue.edu
765-494-8435 765-494-8406