The 2007 academic year has been filled with great student achievement, excellent faculty scholarship and rewarding international experiences. Articles in this issue of the Department Alumni Newsletter highlight student activities and achievement, faculty teaching, scholarship, and awards and international projects.

The Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership modified the department name in 2007. The word “Leadership” was substituted for the words “4-H Youth Development.” The reason for the name change was to reflect the emphasis in leadership education the department has developed over the past ten years and the broader role the department plays in leadership development of youth and adults.

Undergraduate teaching programs in the department continue to strive for excellence! Placement of graduates in agricultural communications, agricultural education and agricultural leadership is high. An increasing demand exists for agricultural education teachers. At the time of this newsletter, 20 new graduates had accepted teaching positions and 13 agricultural education teaching positions remained open.

The department is working hard to increase undergraduate enrollment in agricultural education to develop a larger number of highly qualified agricultural education teachers. Recruitment efforts have been increased to Oklahoma junior college agriculture programs, the Oklahoma Department of Career Tech has initiated a media campaign with secondary agricultural education programs to encourage more high school graduates to consider “teaching” as a career, and a “Future Agricultural Education Teacher Summer Academy” for ten high school seniors was begun to identify and motivate outstanding high school agricultural education students to become agricultural education teachers.

A new faculty member has been added to the department. Dr. Shane Robinson, Assistant Professor, will join the department this summer to provide state-wide leadership for agricultural education teacher professional development with special emphasis on the professional development of alternatively certificated agricultural education teachers. Dr. Robinson was an agricultural education teacher at Sapulpa High School and was a member of the faculty in agricultural education at the University of Kentucky prior to accepting the position at OSU. Dr. Robinson is originally from Hollis, Oklahoma.