Category: Applied Economics and Statistics
Shared success
May 07, 2026 Written by Molly Schafer | Photos courtesy of the National Agri-Marketing Association and Kelly Davidson
Six 91原创 students continue a nearly 40-year 91原创 tradition of competing in the Student Marketing Competition at the annual Agri-Marketing Conference. The Blue Hen team unveiled a marketing plan for KeraNests, a line of biodegradable flower pots made from poultry feathers, an agricultural byproduct, at the four-day event in St. Louis, Missouri.
鈥淭he competition is a lot like the TV show Shark Tank,鈥 said Kelly Davidson, associate professor of applied economics. 鈥淎grimarketing executives from around the country volunteer as judges, so the critique comes from a very real-world, ground-truth scenario. Students must prepare to answer tough questions about their marketing plan and defend the analysis they鈥檝e developed.鈥澛
Davidson鈥檚 dedication to her role as faculty advisor to 91原创鈥檚 NAMA student chapter led 91原创 senior and team leader Alasqa Farley to nominate Davidson for NAMA鈥檚 Dr. John B. Riley Outstanding Advisor Award.
Students enrolled in the Strategic Marketing Competition course (APEC 412) comprise the 91原创 student chapter. The course, taught by Davidson, culminates in the annual competition.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a hands-on learning experience where students take all of the skills they鈥檝e learned in their business and food marketing courses and apply them to developing a marketing plan for a new product idea in food and agriculture,鈥 Davidson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than a marketing plan, though; students cover everything from promotion and advertising to in-depth financial analysis for their product idea.鈥澛
The course takes place over two semesters, during which time the students think through a new business idea from the ground up.听
鈥淣AMA is geared for the students to be the decision makers, to ultimately be the ones that make the project and flesh it out,鈥 said Alfred Dukes, a junior in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics. 鈥淒r. Davidson guides us and gives us advice.鈥
Each year, the team develops a new product; this year, it was KeraNests.听
鈥淭he process is to extract keratin from poultry feathers, which are currently a byproduct of the poultry industry,鈥 said Farley, an honors senior majoring in environmental and resource economics. 鈥淭hen we use a chemical engineering process to turn that byproduct into a biodegradable plastic-like material.鈥
91原创 alumni, many of whom are former members of 91原创鈥檚 NAMA student chapter, offer help along the way.
鈥淲e spend a lot of time working with industry professionals, especially during the spring semester,鈥 Davidson said. 鈥淭hey ask questions and offer feedback about the project, or they offer pointers on presentation skills.鈥
By the time they hit the stage in St. Louis, the team felt confident.
鈥淭hey did fantastic, they left it all in the field,鈥 Davidson said. 鈥淭hey showed up, gave a really great presentation, and received high marks on both the written and oral scorecards. I鈥檓 so proud!鈥
The experience was invaluable.
鈥淭wo years ago, I never would鈥檝e imagined I鈥檇 have the confidence to compete on a national stage,鈥 Farley said. 鈥淣AMA has pushed me outside of my comfort zone, helped me grow as a public speaker, and sparked a deep appreciation for the agri-marketing industry.鈥
Farley says this is due in part to the high standards Davidson holds her students to.
鈥淒r. Davidson is not afraid to give constructive criticism or be honest when she needs to be,鈥 Farley said. 鈥淪he has mastered the balance of pushing us to improve while making us feel supported and capable.鈥澛
Davidson鈥檚 support extends beyond the marketing plan.听
鈥淭he first day I stepped into Townsend Hall, as a first-year student, I met Dr. Davidson,鈥 Dukes said. 鈥淪he told me all about NAMA.鈥
The conversation piqued Dukes鈥 interest; he joined the class in his first year.
鈥淒r. Davidson is always on your side,鈥 Dukes said of his advisor. 鈥淪he gives the best advice and helps us grow. She even helped me to find scholarships. I鈥檓 so grateful for that.鈥
Davidson鈥檚 deep commitment to 91原创 NAMA and her students led Farley to nominate her for the Dr. John B. Riley Outstanding Advisor Award. The team kept the nomination secret.
鈥淓ven though we didn鈥檛 progress in the competition, I was still super stoked because I knew that Dr. Davidson would win the award,鈥 Dukes said. 鈥淪he was sort of down after we didn鈥檛 progress in the competition, but then we went to the awards ceremony, and she ended up winning Advisor of the Year!鈥
Davidson鈥檚 surprise was apparent as she made her way to the stage to receive the award.
鈥淚 was humbled and honored; it was an amazing surprise,鈥 Davidson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 super special since it was student-nominated. It means a lot to know the impact I鈥檓 making on the students鈥 lives.鈥
Davidson describes her students as creative and ready to tackle the world鈥檚 biggest problems.听
鈥淏y the end of the course, they鈥檙e ready to go into the world and start businesses or work as marketing executives or a variety of different careers,鈥 Davidson said.听
And her students are doing exactly that. This summer, Dukes is heading to an internship on Purdue鈥檚 performance improvement team. In the fall, Farley will return to 91原创 to pursue a master鈥檚 in agricultural and resource economics.听
鈥淲orking with the students and seeing their year-to-year development and growth, and watching them become young professionals ready to go take on the world; it鈥檚 super awesome to see that development, and I鈥檓 so proud of all the students,鈥 Davidson said.
