Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership

Greetings ACEL alumni –

The alumni board for the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership has three missions - to connect alumni to students, connect alumni with each other and to recognize our alumni for the work they are doing in their careers and communities.

Each year, the board sponsors an awards program to recognize our alumni who have made significant contributions through their careers and in their communities. On behalf of our board, I am excited to announce the 2021 recipients of the ACEL Alumni Awards. The nominations were overflowing this year and we know there are ACEL alumni truly making a difference in our communities. I wish we could have awarded all our nominees an award this year, because each one is truly deserving of the honor.

While these awards are traditionally presented at the department’s annual banquet, the event did not take place in 2021. The plan for our board is to celebrate them at the 2022 event but will also be celebrating these individuals on our social media channels throughout next week.

Congratulations to our seven award recipients listed below and thank you to those who nominated these alumni, as well as the many other award candidates. The application for our 2022 awards program will be released soon.

Best regards,

Nicole Volk ‘16

2021 ACEL Alumni Board President

Dr. Brooke Beam

https://acel.osu.edu/Brooke%20Beam%20in%20front%20of%20bookshelf

Brooke Beam is a three-time alum of our department, earning her bachelor, master and doctorate degrees in agricultural communication in 2012, 2014 and 2017, respectively.

Beam currently serves as the agricultural and natural resources/community development educator with Ohio State Extension in Highland County. As a dual program area educator, Beam uses creativity to meet the needs of the members of her community. She incorporates technology, hands-on demonstrations, and videos to keep her community engaged. In addition to her extension work, Beam owns and operates a grain farm in Clinton County.

Dr. Brooke Beam

Allison Ryan

Allison Ryan is 2008 graduate of Ohio State with a bachelor's degree in agricultural communication.

She is the director of marketing and communications at MVP Dairy LLC in Celina, Ohio. In her role, Ryan uses her extensive dairy background and agricultural communication degree to promote Ohio's dairy community and share farming experiences with consumers.

Allison Ryan '08

Mentor to Students Award

Susan Farr

https://acel.osu.edu/Photo%20of%20Susan%20Farr

Susan Lokai Farr graduated with a bachelor of science in agricultural education in 1992.

Following graduation, she was an agricultural educator and FFA advisor with Northeastern Local Schools until 1999. She then served as the director of the Help Me Grow project with the Paulding County Board of Developmental Disabilities for several years and now works as an intervention specialist with the Vantage Career Center in Van Wert, Ohio, a position she has held since 2003.

Susan Farr

Abbey VanTyne

Abbey VanTyne is a two-time graduate of ACEL, completing a bachelor's degree in agriscience education in 2016 and a master's of agricultural communication, education, and leadership in 2021.

She is an agricultural educator with Norwayne High School and has willingly hosted Ohio State's agrsicience education students for their early field experience requirements.

Abbey VanTyne

Distinguished Alumni Award

Dr. Corey Cockerill

Dr. Corey Cockerill graduated in 2002 with a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. She also holds degrees from Ohio State, including a master's degree in rural sociology and a doctorate degree in environmental sociology, policy and communications.

Cockerill is an associate professor of communication arts and agricultural communication at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio. Prior to her position with Wilmington College, she was the electronic communications manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.

See the full list of award recipients.

Dr. Stacy Gartin

Dr. Stacy Gartin is a two-time graduate of our department, completing his master's degree in agricultural education in 1982 and his doctor of philosophy degree in 1983, also in agricultural education. He also holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from Colorado State University.

Gartin has been a faculty member at West Virginia University's Agricultural and Extension Education Unit since 1984, serving as chairman of the unit from 1992-1996 and 2002-2009. Prior to joining the faculty at WVU, he was a visiting assistnat professor at Prudue University and a vocational agriculture instructor at McClave High School in Colorado.

See a full list of recipients.

Bruce Zimmer

Bruce Zimmer completed a master's degree in agricultural education, with an emphasis in extension education, in 1988. He also holds a bachelor of science degree in dairy science from Ohio State.

Zimmer is an extension educator of 4-H and youth development with Ohio State Extension for more than 30 years. From 1989-2016 he worked as an educator in Monroe County. Since 2016, he has been the extension educator in Washington County.

Bruce Zimmer

Nominate an alum for our 2022 awards

Applications are now available for our 2022 ACEL Alumni Awards. Nominate a graduate of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership before December 31, 2021. Details about our awards and applications are available on the ACEL Alumni Awards website.

2120 Fyffe Road, 200 Agricultural Administration, Columbus, Ohio 43210

acel@osu.edu

ACEL Website

Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership

The Ohio State University