Also this month:
* Farm and Communities Tour
Showcases Rural North Carolina
* A&T Research Tackles
Swine Waste Issues
* A&T Specialist Advises
on Summer Market Opportunities
* A&T Specialist
Advises on Summer Skin Protection
* Videotaping Tips for Avid
Amateurs
* A&T Extends Expertise
to Uganda
* NC A&T Extension Specialists
Take Home Awards
* Mafuyai-Ekanem Recognized
with National USDA Award
Other News Links:
Press Release Archive
Cooperative Extension
Press Releases
Agricultural Research
Press Releases
General Links:
NC A&T School of Agriculture
Agricultural Communications
Mitch Arnold, news editor
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Greensboro, NC: Though nearly 25 percent of the population
earns their income through a career related to agriculture, relatively
few young people begin their college education in pursuit of an agriculture-related
degree.
"Agriculture suffers from an image problem," said Dr. Valorie
F. McAlpin, director of Agricultural Communications at North Carolina A&T
State University. "Many people think that agriculture is strictly
farming, and that image is passed on to young people. The unfortunate result
is that few high school students are aware of the lucrative careers in
the field of agriculture and the constant demand for qualified professionals
to fill challenging and rewarding positions."
Promising agriculture-related careers mentioned by McAlpin include animal
husbandry, agricultural engineering, aquaculture, biotechnology, fashion
design, human nutrition and landscape architecture.
To expand the perception of agriculture and open the eyes of young people
to possible careers, the School of Agriculture at North Carolina A&T
State University will present the Fourth Annual Careers in Science and
Technology Videoconference, Tuesday, September 22, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm
ET.
The live interactive satellite program will feature degree offerings and
career options available within the high-tech arena of agricultural science.
Featured guests will include Dr. Richard Robbins, associate dean for instruction
in the NC A&T School of Agriculture, and a representative from NC A&T's
Alumni Affairs.
The program will be hosted by Nagatha Tonkins, former news anchor for WGHP-TV,
and will include a video tour of the campus and 20 minutes of live call
in questions to our toll-free number.
According to McAlpin, the videoconference represents the innovation, in
spite of limited financial resources, that continues to make historically
black institutions like NC A&T important players in higher education.
"The live, interactive videoconference allows us to overcome distance
in telling A&T's story, which is indelibly tied to agriculture and
its importance to the culture of African Americans," said McAlpin.
"Through innovative technologies like our live satellite broadcast
and our interactive Web site (www.ag.ncat.edu),
information on agriculture-related careers becomes accessible to the world
without limitations of time and distance," said McAlpin. "Such
efforts could prove key in enhancing the presence of African Americans
in agriculture."
Satellite coordinates for the videoconference are Galaxy C7, Transponder
8. Viewers with a KU-Band satellite dish, may access the program at Telestar
5, Transponder 25. Complete details are available at http://www.ag.ncat.edu/video/
or from Sheila Whitley at (336) 334-7050.
The NC A&T School of Agriculture will also make a broadcast available
throughout North Carolina on community access channels, and plans to conduct
live, interactive mini-lectures through satellite technology at the North
Carolina State Fair.
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For more information, please contact Sheila Whitley, NC A&T Agricultural
Communications, (336) 334-7050.
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