SPRINGDALE, Ark. — January 11, 2017 — Tyson Foods, Inc. and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University are collaborating to offer a new course on effective agricultural communications, company and school officials announced today.
The course is designed to expose N.C. A&T students to a variety of food and agricultural issues and key strategies for talking about them. More than a dozen subject matter experts from Tyson Foods will present to the class, within A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, during the Spring 2017 semester.
“This unique course provides A&T students an exclusive opportunity to learn from industry professionals the communications, risk and associated other challenges facing modern agriculture,” said Dr. Antoine Alston, Associate Dean, Academic Studies, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. “We truly appreciate the support from Tyson Foods to make this class a reality.”
Students enrolled in the class, which will be taught by Dr. Alston, will be required to develop issue-briefing guides, videos, speeches and social media campaigns that address current food and agricultural issues. The curriculum will also focus on separating fact, fiction and opinion.
“We’re proud to support A&T and these future leaders,” said Krista Cupp, senior manager of communications for Tyson Foods. “These students understand agriculture better than anyone, so it’s really about teaching them to communicate effectively to the average consumer about where their food comes from. And, that’s exciting.”
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®. It’s a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 115 countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The company currently has approximately 114,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
About North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically black university. It is a land-grant, higher-research classified university by the Carnegie Foundation and constituent member of the University of North Carolina system. A&T is known for its leadership in producing graduates in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was founded in 1891 and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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Contact: Derek Burleson, 479-290-6466, derek.burleson@tyson.com