Dr. Allyson Spears

Dr. Allyson Spears joined the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications in 2025 as an Instructional Assistant Professor. 

Dr. Spears’ work in science communication focuses on how agricultural information is communicated, interpreted, and trusted by public audiences. Her research centers on the role of social media, digital storytelling, and emerging technologies in shaping how people understand and engage with agriculture and science.

Her research explores the people, platforms, and communication strategies that make complex agricultural topics more accessible and relevant to diverse audiences. This includes examining agricultural influencers and opinion leaders, audience perceptions of credibility and authenticity, the use of artificial intelligence in agricultural communication, and strategies for connecting agricultural information with audiences who may have limited direct experience with the industry.

Dr. Spears’ recent research examines how agricultural influencers use social media to communicate about beef production and agriculture, including the characteristics of content that encourage audience engagement and connection. Additional projects explore the use of artificial intelligence to create agricultural content, audience perceptions of AI- versus human-generated communication, and effective approaches for increasing agricultural literacy among college students.

Her work seeks to better understand not only what agricultural information is communicated, but also who communicates it, where audiences encounter it, and what makes audiences willing to listen, trust, and engage.