Illinois Agricultural Education

Tiffany Marzolino - AGED

Dr. Tiffany Marzolino (she/they) is a three-time graduate of Michigan State University. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Education, they taught Zoology, Botany, Agricultural Leadership, Agricultural Business, and Middle School Agriculture/FFA at a rural Michigan high school. While teaching, they completed their Master’s degree in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Education and conducted research on how Michigan teachers were implementing supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs). Tiffany then left teaching to pursue her PhD in Community Sustainability with an emphasis on agricultural education. As a PhD student, Tiffany has been actively involved in leading professional development sessions for Michigan agriculture teachers, delivering sessions on topics like implementing Next Generation Science Standards in the agricultural classroom and work-life balance. Tiffany has also led multiple courses in agriculture teacher preparation and conducted a variety of research within agricultural education, with a focus on retaining agricultural educators, systems thinking, and teacher identity. Tiffany is excited to be joining the ALEC program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and looks forward to getting to know students, agricultural educators, support staff, and others in Illinois!

Christopher Wirz - AGCM

Christopher Wirz (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of science and risk communication in the Ag Comm group of ALEC at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Environmental Science, Biology, and Life Sciences Communication. He also went to graduate school at UW-Madison for science communication (MS and PhD). He is joining ALEC after four years as a researcher at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR). His research focuses on communication among different experts and publics in the face of environmental and technological risks. This has included studying biotechnology, disease outbreaks, and more recently weather hazards and the development of use-inspired AI for environmental decision making. During graduate school he assisted teaching courses on risk communication and science communication at the undergraduate and graduate level. He also will be working with Extension and looks forward to developing educational resources related to science and risk communication.

Haden Botkin - OCL

Haden Botkin (he/him) recently completed his Ph.D. in Human Sciences and Leadership Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His dissertation was a qualitative multiphase study exploring practices of collective leadership in rural Nebraska communities. Additional research interests include community development, complexity leadership, service-learning and community engagement, and qualitative and mixed methods research designs. Prior to his time at UNL, Haden received an M.S. in Counseling and Student Development and a B.S. in Education, with a minor in Leadership Studies, from Kansas State University. He also holds Graduate Certificates in Mixed Methods Research and Social Justice Education from UNL and KSU, respectively. Haden has taught undergraduate courses focused on interpersonal skills and leadership, organizational and community leadership, and culture and context in leadership, and graduate courses focused on qualitative methods and program evaluation. He enjoys building relationships with students and exploring what is required to lead deep, sustainable change in the organizations, communities, and systems they care about.