Congratulations Dr. Zickafoose! Alexis Zickafoose, Mershon Center student affiliate, successfully defended her dissertation, Sowing Success: How Women’s Agripreneurship Cultivates Empowerment and Enterprise, on April 3, 2026.

Dr. Zickafoose’s dissertation team included her advisor Dr. Mary T. Rodriguez, associate professor, Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership and her committee members Dr. Jera Niewoehner-Green, associate professor, Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership; Dr. Abdul Sam, professor and director of Graduate Studies, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics; and Dr. Joy Rumble, associate professor, Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership.

Read about Dr. Zickafoose’s recent research trip to Bangladesh to better understand how owning and operating an agribusiness impacts women’s empowerment across individuals, institutions, and environments.

Photo caption (left to right): Dr. Mary T. Rodriguez, Dr. Jera Niewoehner-Green, Dr. Alexis Zickafoose, Dr. Abdul Sam, and Dr. Joy Rumble.