Mark A Tucker

Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication

Professor Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication

Phone

765.494.8429

Fax

765.496.1152

Office

Lilly Room 3-227

Address

915 W State Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054

Email

matucker@purdue.edu

Faculty Profile
Dr. Tucker is professor and coordinator of the Agricultural Communication Program. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, he is deeply involved in College of Agriculture Transformational Experiences (CATE) and Purdue Agriculture’s Issues Engagement Initiative. His research is focused on public engagement of science and technology, including risk communication, decision-making and development of strategies for engaging consumer and farm audiences on food and agricultural issues.
See College of Agriculture Research Spotlight

Education
BS, Agricultural Journalism, University of Missouri, 1985
MS, Agricultural Communication, Ohio State University, 1987
PhD, Rural Sociology, Ohio State University, 1995

Enhancing Communication Capacity of Purdue Agriculture
Dr. Tucker is involved in the following co-curricular programs aimed at enhancing communication capacity of Purdue Agriculture students, 4-H youth and others.
Leadership Team, Issues-360 Program
Science Communication Instructor, Molecular Agriculture Summer Institutes (MASI)
Co-Leader, Townsend Communication in Agriculture Program
Leadership Team, PotashCorp Executive i2i Pathway to Excellence Program
Co-Advisor, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) student organization
Program Contact, Picture Yourself in Agricultural Communication (Indiana 4-H Youth Round-Up)
Program Contact, Spread the News (4-H Academy @ Purdue)

Courses Taught
YDAE 15200 Agricultural Communication Seminar
YDAE 49100 Introduction to Agricultural Publication Design
ANSC 38100 Leadership for a Diverse Workplace (team-taught)
COM 45300 Reporting of Science News

Research Interests
Risk communication; science communication; audience analysis; public issues engagement; rural sociology; agricultural journalism education

Grants & Projects
Increasing Research Capacity to Advance Public Engagement with Science and Technology (Principal Investigator; Sponsor: Research Refresh Program, Office of the Provost, Purdue University)

Development of an Online Educational Resource to Introduce 4-H Youth to Journalism and Professional Communication (Principal Investigator; Sponsor: Indiana 4-H)

Farmer Perceptions of Big Data Applications in Agriculture (Co-PI; Sponsor: USDA/NIFA)

Awards & Honors

(2016) YDAE Nominee, David C. Pfendler Outstanding Undergraduate Counselor Award. College of Agriculture, Purdue University.

(2010) Award of Excellence, Academic Programs. Association for Communication Excellence.

(2010) Subcontract: USAID Initiative for Long-Term Training and Capacity Building - Malawi. Michigan State University/USAID.

(2009) Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher. Dept of Youth Development and Agricultural Education.

(2008) YDAE Nominee, David C. Pfendler Outstanding Undergraduate Counselor Award. College of Agriculture, Purdue University.

(2013) Gold Award (Writing for targeted publics). Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences.

Selected Publications

Ponce de Leon, I. (2011). Advancing the Land-Grant Mission through Responsible Issues Management. Issues Management Symposium -- Association for Communication Excellence, 3-12. Retrieved from http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/SB664.pdf

Tucker, M. A., Bricker, J., & Huerta, A. (2011). An approach to measuring the impact and effectiveness of educational exhibits. Journal of Applied Communications, 95(2), 6-20.

Borron, A., Carroll, N., & Tucker, M. (2011). Enhancing Risk Management Instruction of Undergraduate Students. American Association of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Retrieved from http://elibrary.asabe.org/techpapers.asp?confid=loui2011

History of the Association for Communication Excellence. (2010). Sage Publications, Inc, 1, 64-65.

Tucker, M. A., & Ellis, J. D. (2009). Factors influencing consumer perception of food hazards. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 4(6). Retrieved from http://www.cababstractsplus.org/cabreviews

Boone, K., Meisenbach, T., & Tucker, M. A. (2002). Agricultural Communications: Changes and Challenges. Wiley-Blackwell.