This qualitative study explores agriculture research faculty's challenges with participating in Science Communication. To explore the challenges shared by faculty, we utilized the proposed Faculty Science Communication Engagement Framework, which identifies three dimensions that may cause challenges for faculty Science Communication work: personal, professional, and institutional. During interviews with 11 research faculty, we identified Science Communication challenges within these dimensions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrecision farming provides one of the most important solutions for managing agricultural production to advance global food security. Extending professionals' competencies to promote precision farming practices can increase the adoption rate, ultimately impacting food security. Many studies have addressed barriers to the adoption of precision farming technologies from the farmers' perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater quality impairment linked to household septic systems presents a significant challenge for environmental management professionals given the costs and complexity of encouraging residents to convert to sewer systems. Septic-to-sewer conversion programs may be more effective if they employ innovative techniques such as social marketing to accelerate engagement, but there is a lack of the necessary formative audience research available on which to promote sanitation-related technologies and behaviors using these types of strategies. We used Diffusion of Innovations theory as a lens through which to view support for septic-to-sewer conversion programs, considering perceptions of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and observability as factors (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic brought grave financial concerns for families in the United States as they attempted to navigate the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic. The present descriptive study examined Florida families' employment characteristics, credit card debt, savings characteristics, use of savings based on employment and income variables, and patterns of use of the first 2020 economic impact payment during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to an online questionnaire were collected from 526 Florida residents, age 18 or older, who were parents of minor children during the time the study was conducted.
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