S11E2 - Katie Sanders – Consumer Perceptions for Emerging Ag Tech

SPRING SEMINAR SERIES Navigating Consumer Perceptions for Emerging Ag Tech: Considerations for Outreach, Engagement, and Communication How agricultural science communication can move beyond traditional, deficit models to engage diverse audiences through dialogue-based strategies aligned with Cooperative Extension’s founding mission. Download seminar flyer Katie Sanders, PhD Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at NC State University | Profile Catherine (Katie) Sanders, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at NC State University. Her research bridges science communication and identity-based frameworks to enhance culturally responsive engagement with stakeholders across the food system. Dr. Sanders holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication from the University of Georgia, with a focus on science communication and program evaluation. She has earned recognition for her innovative contributions to food systems communication and rural health initiatives, receiving two consecutive awards for Article of the Year from the Journal of Applied Communications . Her emerging research inquiry investigates consumer perceptions of gene-editing technologies in plants and livestock and aims to enhance Cooperative Extension’s capacity for effective, diverse, and equitable engagement around agricultural innovations. Abstract The discipline of agricultural science communication has long relied on linear and deficit models of communication when marketing new innovations. However, these models are limited in their efficacy for reaching diverse audiences and run contrary to the original mission of Cooperative Extension, one of the first agricultural science communication institutions. During this talk, Sanders will provide an overview of the tradition of agricultural science communication and describe the inflection point the discipline faces today to reach diverse audiences in an information-dense environment. Sanders will also outline her approach to implementing agricultural science communication research strategies for emerging agricultural technologies with specific reference to her work as an Extension Specialist at NC State. Additionally, she will detail her recent research and programmatic efforts to incorporate dialogue-based engagement strategies into agricultural communication, moving away from the traditional deficit approaches. By combining epistemological, historical, and methodological perspectives, Sanders develops new methods of agricultural science communication and hopes to foster dialogue about future directions from this interdisciplinary gathering. Related links: Sanders, C. E. , Lamm, K. W., & Ramsey, E. (2024). Identifying key competencies for extension communication: A Delphi analysis to guide program development. Journal of Applied Communications , 108(3). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2537 Sanders, C. E., Gibson, K. E., & Lamm, A. J. (2022). Perceived government control and its influence on climate change knowledge perceptions: Applications for effective communication. Journal of Applied Communications , 106(3). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2441 Sanders, C. E. , Gibson, K. E., & Lamm, A. J. (2022). Rural broadband and precision agriculture: A frame analysis of United States federal policy outreach under the Biden administration. Sustainability , 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010460 Gibson, K. E., Sanders, C. E., & Lamm, A. J. (2021). News source use and social media engagement: Examining their effects on origin of COVID-19 beliefs when mediated by critical thinking style. SAGE Open , 11(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211061324 Sanders, C. E., Mayfield-Smith, K. A., & Lamm, A. J. (2021). Exploring Twitter discourse around the use of artificial intelligence to advance agricultural sustainability. Sustainability , 13, 12033. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112033 The Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Colloquium is a seminar series that brings in

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