The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation awarded 10 scholarships to students enrolled in the Agricultural Education Teaching Program at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL).

Each recipient will receive a $1,500 scholarship during his or her student-teaching semester at the university. Applicants shared why they wanted to be an agricultural education teacher, professional goals for the future and what the scholarship would mean to them.

The 10 recipients of the scholarships are Christy Cooper, Waverly; Aaron Hemme, Fremont; Karlee Johnson, Thurston; Vanessa Knutson, Palmyra; Katie Nolles, Bassett; William O'Brien, Newman Grove; Kara Philips, Bertrand; Alex Stocker, Grand Island; Sheridan Swotek, Lincoln; and Monica Wasielewski, Bushnell.

Scholarship recipients were honored at the Nebraska Career Education Conference in Kearney.

NCCEF awards scholarships

The Nebraska Cooperative Council Education Foundation has awarded nine scholarships for the 2019-20 academic year to students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis, and the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

Receiving a $2,500 NCCEF scholarship in honor of Robert C. Andersen is Austin Harthoorn of Ainsworth, who is majoring in agricultural economics at UNL.

Six UNL students received $2,500 scholarships, one NCTA student received a $1,500 scholarship, and one UNK student received a $2,500 scholarship in honor of Michael S. Turner.

This includes Elizabeth Yrkoski of Fullerton, majoring in agricultural economics at UNL; Callie Dethlefs of Rockville, majoring in agribusiness at UNL; Kyle Leners of Filley, majoring in agribusiness at UNL; Brent Miller of Oakland, majoring in agribusiness at UNL; Maria Harthoorn of Ainsworth, majoring in agricultural economics at UNL; Valerie Bohuslavsky of David City, majoring in agribusiness at UNL; Ethan Aschenbrenner of Scottsbluff, majoring in ag production systems at NCTA; and Drew Hofman of Indianola, majoring in agribusiness at UNK.

Nebraska's Luckey appointed to National Pork Board

USDA recently announced the appointment of five members to the National Pork Board. Bill Luckey of Columbus, Neb., was selected and will serve a three-year term.

The National Pork Board is composed of 15 pork producers nominated by the National Pork Producers Delegate Body, which is made up of 132 producer and importer members.

Luckey owns a wean-to-finish operation in Columbus, where he also holds partial ownership of a sow farm. Luckey is responsible for the daily care of 740 nursery pigs and 1,400 finisher pigs.

His family also operates a 2,000-head custom contract finisher and markets 10,000 pigs annually. Luckey also raises corn, soybeans and cattle on 700 acres.

Soybean Board names Hoxmeier as communications coordinator

The Nebraska Soybean Board recently announced the hiring of Thomas Hoxmeier as its communications coordinator.

In his position, Hoxmeier will handle various roles for NSB, such as public relations, website updates, multichannel advertising, social media and promotional campaigns. He also will manage the NSB quarterly magazine, SoybeaNebraska, as well as other ag-related communications and marketing projects to promote the Nebraska soybean industry.

Hoxmeier grew up on a farm outside of Orleans, Neb., and graduated from UNL in May 2019 with a degree in advertising and public relations from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

He has interned with UNL's Rural Futures Institute and the Nebraska Corn Board.