Alltech awards young leaders in agricultural communications at 2026 Ag Media Summit

[ST. LOUIS, Mo.] - During the 2026 Agricultural Media Summit (AMS), which was held July 19-22 in St. Louis, Missouri, four students currently studying agricultural communications were honored for their excellence, professionalism and leadership. These awards are made possible by the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) Student Award Program, sponsored by Alltech, which provides travel scholarships for four students to attend AMS.

"Alltech is proud to support the next generation of agricultural communicators as the ambassadors and voice of our industry," said Jenn Norrie, Alltech's communications manager for North America and Europe. "These young leaders are playing an instrumental role in sharing stories of farmers and ranchers and are helping to educate the metropolitan population on where and by whom their food is produced."

The Forrest Bassford Student Award is a prestigious award that recognizes outstanding students who demonstrate a strong passion for agricultural communications and display a history of high academic and professional achievement. The finalists for this year's Forrest Bassford Student Award, presented by the LPC, included:

• Kirsten Bezner, Texas Tech University

• Erin Driscoll, Kansas State University

• Lydia Hill, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

• Savannah Sinclair, Texas Tech University

Following a competitive application and interview process, the award was presented to Kirsten Bezner, a junior at Texas Tech University studying agricultural communications, with minors in nutrition and food science.

"I feel so honored to have been chosen for the Forrest Bassford Student Award and to represent Texas Tech University as the selected honoree," Bezner said. "Advocating for agriculture has always been my passion, and this award reflects my commitment to supporting and sharing the story of those in our industry."

The Forrest Bassford Student Award was established in 1992 to honor Bassford's contributions to the Livestock Publications Council and his passion for supporting young people in the field of agricultural communications. To learn more about this award and its previous recipients, click here.