Posing in front of poster presentation

Author: Kyla Clouthier | Major: Agricultural Business | Semester: Spring 2025

In early February, I had the opportunity to travel to Irving, TX for the annual Southern Agricultural Economics Association meeting. At this meeting, I was able to present my in-progress Honors thesis research. My research focuses on consumer preferences when faced with decisions regarding gene-edited, spray treated, and all-natural apples in order to prevent browning. I was honored to be selected to present at this prestigious conference, and grateful to have the funding to travel from the Honors college.

While at the conference, I also had the opportunity to represent the University of Arkansas in the Agricultural Economics Quizbowl Competition. This competition takes undergraduate students nominated by their university and mixes them into teams with NFL names. My team was made up of UT Martin and Louisiana State University. Out of thirty-six teams, we progressed to the quarterfinal round! It was exciting to build camaraderie and experience success thanks to the education provided by the University of Arkansas Agriculture Business and Economics Department.

While at this conference, I was glad to receive feedback on the readability and ability to understand my poster. These comments will allow me to better my presentation at the University of Arkansas Honors Department Research Symposium. I also had the opportunity to connect with professors and faculty from other institutions whom I have previously worked with. I completed the Delta Scholars program this past year, and it was lovely to see the faculty from Mississippi State and the Southern Rural Development Committee there as well.

I was glad to be able to network with individuals from the Western United States, where I am originally from. I plan on returning to focus on water rights in agriculture after my graduation, and it is nice to see these individuals and their research demonstrated at these Southern conferences.

If I were to offer advice to a younger student for this conference, I would first recommend that they use the wonderful quizbowl preparation materials from the professors at the University to better their skills to prepare. It can also be nice to have the memory refresher, especially since many of the economic classes are taken early in the students’ career. I would also say to select a research topic that they are excited about and interesting. I have found that I have had a much easier time explaining my research to people at this conference than others because of my deep interest and understanding of it. Plus, this makes the often grueling experience of research and process of writing much more enjoyable!

Next for me is to present at the University of Arkansas Research Symposium. I then have graduation in May, before beginning an internship. Then, next fall, I will begin my first year of law school. It is very exciting and scary at the same time, but I am beyond grateful to the University of Arkansas Honors College for preparing me for this next step, and providing the financial means for me to gain experiences beyond my wildest dreams to chase down my goals and be the next effective change-maker from the storied history of the University of Arkansas Honors College.