Student Activities

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SECTION

The Student Section of the American Agricultural Economics Association invites all undergraduates to attend and participate in the 2005 Annual Meeting activities in Providence, July 24-27.

Registration and Housing
You must be registered at the Annual Meeting to participate.

Undergraduate Student Competitions
Paper
The Undergraduate Paper Competition on Monday, July 25, provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to present papers on numerous topics in agricultural economics. The top paper and second through fifth place abstracts are published in the SS-AAEA Journal. The author of the first place paper receives $200! The deadline to submit a Statement of Intent is May 16, 2005. Complete papers should be submitted by June 14, 2005.

Academic Bowl
This competition offers students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skill by answering questions in a number of agricultural economics areas. The first place team receives $500! A rules meeting and orientation for the Academic Bowl will be held on Sunday, July 24, 2005, at 6 pm. Round one begins at 8 am on Monday, July 25. The finals will take place Tuesday, July 26 at 5:15 pm. The deadline to register is May 16, 2005.

Outstanding Chapter
Chapters compete for a cash award of $200 based on their accomplishments from the last year. The application should be completed and returned by May 16, 2005. The application includes areas of chapter involvement, guest speakers, club tours and other information. The winning club that has shown the greatest involvement and activity during the past school year will be recognized at the Awards Program.

Creative Club
Chapters have an opportunity to showcase a unique, creative event to compete for a cash award or $200. The application should be submitted by May 16, 2005. The application must include a summary of the creative idea, its implementation and results of its implementation. The winning club with the best creative idea will be recognized at the Awards Program.

Entry Forms
Entry forms and rules for the Paper, Academic Bowl, Outstanding Chapter and Creative Club competitions are included in the 2004-2005 Student Handbook. Forms should be returned by the deadline to the AAEA Office with the appropriate fees. If you have any questions concerning any of the Undergraduate Student Section activities, please contact Maarja Kolberg at 515.233.3202 or e-mail her at maarja@aaea.org.

SS-AAEA Business Meeting and Dinner Sponsored by Co-Bank and the AAEA Foundation
The SS-AAEA business meeting is scheduled on Monday, July 25, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. At the meeting, undergraduate students will elect their new officers and discuss and vote on several proposed constitutional changes. Following the meeting, there will be a buffet dinner at 6:30 pm. Thanks to the generous support of Co-Bank and the AAEA Foundation, there is no charge to the undergraduate students for this buffet dinner!

Undergraduate Recruitment Fair
Wondering where you will be in the future? Looking at options? Employers and departments will be on hand during the Undergraduate Academic Bowl competition on Monday, July 25 to talk with interested students. Please join them (and munch on snacks) as you have free time during the competition. This event, sponsored by the Committee on Women in Agricultural Economics (CWAE), will be held on Monday, July 25 from 9 am to 3 pm.

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GRADUATE STUDENT SECTION

Graduate Student Business Meeting and Reception
 Do not miss the GSS reception--open to all graduate students! Come and enjoy food, drinks and games (there will be many attractive prizes!) with other graduate students. Last year’s business meeting and reception featured a western theme complete with a saloon and cash prizes. The GSS officers have already begun working on a theme for this year! Networking, learning about the GSS, finding out how to get involved with the section, and hearing about opportunities related to jobs and job preparation are only a few of the components to this event. Do not forget to register for this event on the meeting registration form.

Graduate Student Case Study Competition
Attention Graduate Students! Get your teams together for the AAEA Graduate Student Case Study Competition. Demonstrate to the world that all of those years in school were worth it by showing off your communication skills and ability to apply your knowledge of agricultural economics and agribusiness subjects to practical situations. Teams can be comprised of one to three graduate students and may either compete as a team from the same school, or may choose to be mixed with students from other schools. Students competing in the competition will receive a copy of the case study at least two weeks in advance of the AAEA annual meetings. Each team should prepare an oral summary of their solution to the case that will last no more than 15 minutes. Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams. For complete rules and registration please check the GSS Web site or e-mail Dr. Aslihan Spaulding at adspaul@ilstu.edu.

Guidelines for Writing a Curriculum Vitae
The purpose of this organized symposium is to provide individuals with guidelines and advice on how to write a cover letter and curriculum vitae (CV). The organized symposium will feature a panel of four speakers representing academia, government and the private sector. Audience participants will be able to interact with, and receive career advice from, the speakers.

Guidelines for Interviewing and Becoming a Successful Academic Professional
The purpose of this organized symposium is to provide individuals considering an academic position with information and guidelines on how to get and keep an academic position. This organized symposium provides graduate students with ideas on what they can learn to prepare themselves for the job market and academic careers. It will also be a refresher session for individuals who may be considering changing academic positions. The organized symposium will include three speakers who represent academia and government. The speakers will offer advice on topics ranging from the search committee process, what the search committee looks for in an application package, phone interviewing, campus interviewing and the candidate seminar, as well as becoming successful and gaining tenure once you begin an academic career.

Guidelines on Writing and Submitting a Journal Article
The purpose of this organized symposium is to provide individuals considering an academic position with guidelines on how to write and submit journal articles and strategies to increase the probability of article acceptance by a journal. The organized symposium will include three speakers who have published many journal articles and who have been a part of the reviewing process. Each presenter will provide the audience with information and strategic guidelines from his/her perspective.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Sunday, July 24, 2005
1:00 – 3:45 pm

Successful careers don’t just happen; they are developed through active decision making and skill development. The two sessions that make up this workshop include Teamwork and Conflict Resolution, and A Baker’s Dozen Tips for Career Success. Participants can attend the entire workshop or individual sessions.

1:00 – 2:30 pm
Teamwork and Conflict Resolution
Teamwork and the ability to resolve conflicts in a mutually beneficial manner are vital elements to the success of every firm or organization. Whether you serve as team leader or an individual within the team, learning to work well with others entails developing an understanding of how productive teams work. This session will focus on the formation of high performance teams, analysis of team purpose and tasks, conflict resolution, and building consensus.

2:45 – 3:45 pm
A Baker’s Dozen Tips for Career Success
While there are no roadmaps to your destination in life, it never hurts to ask directions along the way. In this session, the presenter shares his perspective on career success based on 25 years of observations working in private industry, government, academic, and volunteer service.

About the Presenter
Dr. Mark A. Wade is Manager of Human Resources at Evans Properties, Inc., located in Vero Beach, Florida and author of the column Human Resources Management, which appears monthly in The Grower magazine.

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