Nellie Hill-Sullins
Assistant Professor, Agricultural Communications and Journalism 
307 Umberger Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
Phone: 785-532-1140
nlhill@ksu.edu
Research
The primary focus of my research is on the social dimensions of natural resource management. My current projects examine the factors that influence decision-making by private land managers to adopt and sustain conservation practices: 1) How the culture, perceptions, and attributes of conservation practices, like cover crops or prescribed burning, influence producers’ decision to adopt that practice and 2) how conservation program exposure and policies influence producers’ engagement with those programs.
Other lines of inquiry include how science communication influences public awareness and support of advances in the natural sciences , how agribusiness communications can be enhanced to reach stakeholders more effectively, and how teaching and learning practices influence post-secondary student readiness for the job market.
Recent product: Enhancing Voluntary Grassland Conservation Programs: Insights from Logan and Gove County Kansas Landowners
Teaching
As a teacher, my objective is to facilitate students’ enduring understanding of the principles, skills, and strategies of communicating the science of agriculture. I aim to form continuous learners who are confident and competent agricultural communicators able to identify and address the needs of diverse audiences through critical thinking and creative problem-solving. My teaching experience includes graphic design, photography, media strategy, science communication, and agri-business communications.
Currently, I teach AGCOM 210: Layout and Design Principles, AGCOM 635: Advanced Multimedia Production in Agriculture and Food, AGCOM 810: Scientific Communications, AGCOM 916: Communication Theories and Engagement, and AGED 810: Social Data Analysis in Communication and Agricultural Education.
Service
Beyond the classroom, I seek to develop and enhance agricultural communicators and the industry through service to the profession. I advise the Agricultural Communications & Journalism Advancement Team, a program-based, student-led recruitment and retention effort. I also serve as a co-advisor for the KSU Student National Agri-Marketing Association chapter, a competitive marketing and sales team. In addition, I am a reviewer for the Journal of Applied Communications and involved in several professional organizations, including The American Association for Agricultural Education and the American Agricultural Editors’ Association.
Biography
Dr. Nellie Hill-Sullins is an assistant professor of agricultural communications and journalism at Kansas State University. Originally from Pilsen, Kansas, Dr. Hill-Sullins received her bachelor’s degree in 2012 from the Kansas State agricultural communications and journalism program she now teaches within. She earned her master’s degree at Texas Tech University in 2013. She then gained professional experience in communications and marketing while working for entities including state government, higher education, a private hunting club, and financial services. Dr. Hill-Sullins returned to Texas Tech, earning her doctoral degree in 2020. Prior to joining the faculty at Kansas State, she helped to establish the agricultural communications program as an assistant professor at New Mexico State University. Dr. Hill-Sullins has been recognized for her scholarship by earning the Association for Communication Excellence Outstanding Dissertation award in 2021, as well as for her teaching by receiving the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Graduate Student Teaching award in 2020.
B.S. Agricultural Communications and Journalism, 2012 - Kansas State University
M.S. Agricultural Communications, 2013 - Texas Tech University
Ph.D. Agricultural Communications and Education, 2020 - Texas Tech University
