FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Seven students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology combined for 14 awards in the recent National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow Critique and Contest.

Students won two national first-place awards with Brittany Coffee receiving the Excellence in Photography award in the "People" category, and Jennifer Diehl, Morgan Marley and Katie Bullard winning the Excellence in Publications "Brochure or Pamphlet" category.

"The national critique and contest provides our agricultural communication students the opportunity to showcase their work as well as receive critical feedback from industry specialists," said assistant professor Jill Rucker. "Students use the feedback to improve their communication pieces, such as press releases, layout and design, photographs and news stories that will be used in their portfolios. Value-added opportunities like this make our agricultural communication students more desirable candidates for jobs and internships."

In addition to the first-place awards, Maggie Jo Hansen was third in the Design and Layout Division for an international programs flyer and Diehl placed fifth for a Waste Management infographic. In the "Page Layout" category, Diehl was fourth and Marley fifth; and in the "Web Design" category, Diehl was third with a page for the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability. In addition to the award for excellence in Publications, Michelle Payne placed fourth in the "Brochure or Pamphlet" category and Stuart Estes was fourth in the "Magazine" category for AR Culture.

Morgan Marley

Marley placed fifth in Design and Layout in the "Ad" category and fifth in the Electronic Division's "Long Video Package" category.

In addition to Coffee's first place in the Photography Division's "People" category, she was third in the "Food" and "Other" categories, and Diehl was fifth in the "Plant" category.

There were 380 entries from across the country. NACT sponsors six divisions with 30 categories, and the U of A was the only program to earn more than one award for excellence.

"I'm very proud of our students and the recognition they received," said Rucker. "They all worked hard and are a testament to our program. To receive two of the six awards of excellence is outstanding. Our students have a bright future ahead of them in the field of communications."

Diehl received five total awards, and Coffee and Marley three each.

Earlier this year, Coffee was the overall winner and the "Faces of Agriculture" category winner in a national agricultural photography contest sponsored by the Center for Public Issues Education.

"These recognitions shine a positive light on our program," said agricultural communication professor Jeff Miller. "Each award represents an impressive accomplishment at the national level. The two awards of excellence - Brittany Coffee's in photography, and Jennifer Diehl, Morgan Marley and Katie Bullard's in publications - are extremely prestigious. The Photography Division always has the highest number of entries from across the country, and the Publications Division includes all the college magazines. Our entries were the best of the best. I appreciate our students for being outstanding and dedicated to our academic program and our department."

NACT is the leading collegiate organization in developing and strengthening agricultural communication students through professional growth opportunities and educational programs.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.