Nebraska National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is Back on Track

UNL’s National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) student organization is one of more than thirty student chapters across the U.S. and Canada. NAMA’s objective is to make students aware of the many career opportunities in agricultural marketing. Building strong connections between students and professionals in marketing, advertising, communications, promotion, sales, and public relations is the key to this objective. NAMA members also have opportunities to develop leadership and team-building skills through club activities and involvement. Two years of COVID created a leadership and experience gap for UNL NAMA. Officers from 2018-2019 had graduated. Monthly meetings were suspended for some time, followed by online/Zoom meetings. Getting a group of students who wanted to lead or compete at the national level without an example was a bit of a challenge. It is great to report that NAMA is back on track, doing what they do best

National Agri-Marketing Association Membership Provides Professional Growth Opportunities for Nebraska Students

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is comprised of over 25 chapters in six regions nationwide, and has more than 3,500 professional and student members. Nebraska’s Midlands Chapter of about 70 professionals works closely with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) student chapter to foster professional growth for student members

National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Annual Conference Connects Student Members with Professionals

The opportunity to connect with professionals is an important aspect of college life for students. It helps them to more clearly understand career possibilities, and learn from professionals who are in careers and working for companies and organizations in the students’ areas of interest. The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is an outstanding venue for promoting connections between students and professionals. It is comprised of over 25 chapters in six regions nationwide, and has more than 3,500 professional and student members. Nebraska’s Midlands (professional) Chapter works closely with the University of Nebraska student chapter. Students are invited to monthly Midlands meetings and Midlands members speak at student chapter meetings and events. They host student members for job shadow experiences and provide feedback on student chapter projects S especially in preparation for the annual marketing plan competition

National Agri-Marketing Association Annual Conference A Winning Combination of Experiential Learning and Networking

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is comprised of 22 professional chapters in 6 regions nationwide and 33 student chapters at universities across the United States and Canada. NAMA members include professionals in agribusinesses, advertising and public relations agencies, commodity associations, and faculty, staff, and students. Nebraska’s professional Cornhusker Chapter has nearly 70 members and Nebraska NAMA student members are invited to Cornhusker Chapter meetings to learn about the latest trends and rub shoulders with marketing professionals. This network of professionals— at the state and national levels—provides valuable opportunities for Nebraska NAMA students

A Successful Year for the Nebraska National Agri-Marketing Association

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln National Agri- Marketing Association (NAMA) chapter finished in second place at this year’s national marketing competition. The chapter also won the John Deere Signature Award. The John Deere award is given to student chapters based on business knowledge, academic excellence, leadership development and community citizenship. Chapter members Marydith Donnelly and Brent Miller earned scholarships and Allison Brockman made finals in the sales competition. NAMA marketing team members presented their marketing plan for EnTotal, a dog food made from black soldier fly larvae. The students developed the product concept, which is modeled on insect-based dog foods available in Canada and Europe. The marketing team spent the last academic year researching and developing the EnTotal marketing plan. They interviewed dog food manufacturers to gain a better understanding of the industry. Endless hours were spent researching consumer attitudes toward insects, dog food purchasing habits, and market trends. The students used this research to develop two customer profiles who would be most likely to purchase EnTotal. A detailed action plan to reach these customers was a key component of the marketing plan. They also developed a business proposition and financial statements

National Agri-Marketing Association Membership Provides Professional Growth Opportunities for Nebraska Students

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is comprised of 25 professional chapters in six regions nationwide and has more than 3,500 professional and student members. Nebraska’s Cornhusker (professional) Chapter of about 70 professionals works closely with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) student chapter to foster professional growth for student members

Defining Teaching Excellence: A Phenomenological Study of Seven Nationally Recognized Secondary Educators

Change has been an integral part of the American education system since the 1830s (Lucas, 1999) when universities began preparing students to teach. Over the past 20 years, changes including federal mandates (Disabilities Education Act, 1990; No Child Left Behind, 2003) and increasing diversity in school populations require a responding sensitivity from classroom teachers. In the midst of challenges that these changes present, teachers are increasingly asked to do more. Research shows that nearly 50 percent of new teachers leave within the first five years of teaching, citing issues such as lack of preparation and mentorship, working conditions, pay, and issues with parents as reasons for leaving (Guarino, Santibaez, & Daley, 2006; Imazeki, 2004; Darling-Hammond, 2003; Johnson, 2004; Ingersol, 2001). Traditional education pre-service programs and school administrators are at the center of a discussion regarding how well new teachers are being prepared for careers in education and how current teachers are equipped to adapt to changing requirements (Levine, 2010). The results of numerous studies have shown that experienced, effective teachers are the single most influential factor affecting student achievement (Stronge, 2007; Darling-Hammond, 2000; Traina, 1999). In order to recruit and retain effective teachers, it is critical that institutions of higher learning provide essential pre-service experiences and that school administrators provide effective support programs and in-service opportunities for new and early-career educators to stimulate performance and invigorate internal motivation. One way to better understand experiences and support systems that are important to developing effective teachers is to learn from teachers of excellence. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of seven national award-winning teachers. Seven themes which define teaching excellence emerged: teacher-student relationships, safe learning environment, active participation, teachable moments, high expectations, real-world experiences, and honoring your personality. Implications for research, universities, school administrators, and teachers come from the findings and add to the literature on teaching and leadership

Another Successful Year for Nebraska NAMA

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is comprised of over 25 chapters in six regions nationwide and has more than 3,500 professional and student members. NAMA professionals have backgrounds in advertising, marketing, media and other areas of agribusiness. This year, eleven members of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) student chapter of NAMA attended the NAMA Annual Conference held April 15-18 in Kansas City, MO. The Conference proved to be an exciting experience, where the Nebraska team competed in the student marketing competition and vied for national awards and scholarships. Over 30 student chapters participated in the marketing competition at the annual conference and trade show, and over 350 student members attended the conference. For many members, the marketing competition is the highlight of the year and a culmination of eight months of preparation. Beginning in September of 2007, UNL’s marketing team selected a product, conducted market research, designed a marketing plan and developed a presentation to take to national competition

NAMA National Conference a Learning Experience for Nebraska Students

Change was in the air at the 2010 National Agri- Marketing Association (NAMA) Annual Conference held April 20-23 in Kansas City, Missouri. Students and professionals alike were given the opportunity to rub shoulders with, and hear nationally known speakers engaging audiences on topics such as the new rules of marketing and publication relations, measuring the effectiveness of social media and strategy, and brand communication