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Name: Benedict, Linda F.
Title: Associate Director & Professor
E-mail: 
Department: Communications
Organization: LSU AgCenter
Address 1: PO Box 25100, 115A Knapp Hall, LSU
Address 2: Baton Rouge, LA 70894 - 5100
Phone Number: (225) 578-2937
Fax Number:
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Education/Training
Ph.D. 1994, University of Missouri-Columbia, Journalism (History of Journalism, Communication Theory, Rural Sociology)
M.A. 1972, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Home Economics Education (Nutrition Education emphasis)
B.S. 1969, Iowa State University, Ames, Home Economics Journalism (Food Science minor)
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Areas of Specialization/Research
Position Description:
As Associate Director of LSU AgCenter Communications, Linda Benedict directs news, video production and media relations. She writes press releases about research and extension accomplishments. She serves as editor-in-chief of the LSU AgCenter’s quarterly magazine, Louisiana Agriculture. In addition, she conducts training for LSU AgCenter faculty on media relations, writing and crisis communication. She writes daily news for the LSU AgCenter’s Intranet to inform employees of programs and policies and does some of the writing for Chancellor Bill Richardson, including speeches, letters and communication to staff. She works with scientists and specialists in developing impact reports that explain program benefits. She directs production of "AgCenter Leads," which appear on the front page of the Web site.
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Professional Experience
Linda Benedict has been with the LSU AgCenter since June of 1997. She was hired as a writer and editor for Louisiana Agriculture magazine and then promoted to assistant director in charge of news, video and media relations and then promoted to associate director for the department. Prior to her appointment with the AgCenter, she was interim associate dean and project promotion specialist for the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences at Southern University in Baton Rouge. Since moving to Louisiana in 1992, she also serves intermittently as an adjunct professor in LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication.
Before moving to Louisiana, she was an Extension Communications Specialist and Instructor of Agricultural Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. For one year (1985), she was a visiting instructor in the University of Missouri's School of Journalism and inaugurated the Missouri Health and Nutrition Journalism Program. She also served as Director of Communications for Extension and Agriculture at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
A native of Iowa, Benedict started her career as a city reporter for the Waterloo, Iowa, Daily Courier and then went on to become a county extension home economist for Iowa State University in Black Hawk County, Iowa. She then moved to the communications unit at Iowa State University in Ames, serving as a communications specialist and assistant professor.
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Awards/Grants
Outstanding Professional Skill Award for media relations following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the category of integrated communication programs along with 11 co-workers in Communications. We won a gold award for the campaign and the skill award for the best of all the golds in the category. Association for Communication Excellence. Presented at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, 2006.
Gold Award for editing Louisiana Agriculture along with Rick Bogren. Association for Communication Excellence. Presented at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, 2006.
Co-Principal Investigator, Educational Video, “Louisiana Crawfish Production,” Southern Association of Aquaculture, $10,000, 2004-2006.
Silver Award for Technical Publication, “2004 Rice Research Report.” Association for Communication Excellence. Presented at San Antonio, Texas, 2005.
Silver Award for Technical Publication, “2003 Rice Research Report.” Association for Communication Excellence. Presented at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, 2004.
Silver Award for Educational project, Non-credit, “Media Training Made Easy,” which was a training session with accompanying notebook of teaching modules. Association for Communication Excellence. Presented at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, 2004.
Executive Editor, Journal of Applied Communications, a refereed journal, 2003-2006.
Writing for Specialized Publications, “The Louisiana Black Bear”, Bronze Award, 2003. Agricultural Communicators in Education (national award).
Outstanding Service Award, 1997, College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, Southern University.
Dean’s Outstanding Service Award, 1997, Southern University.
Elected president of an international professional association – ACE (Agricultural Communicators in Education) 1992.
Award of Excellence in Writing, 1991. Agricultural Communicators in Education.
Award of Excellence in Teacher/Training, 1986. Agricultural Communicators in Education.
Professional Skills Award for satellite videoconference on newsletter production, 1991. Agricultural Communicators in Education.
Professional Skills Award for educational campaign on breast cancer, 1990. Agricultural Communicators in Education. (with Melissa Kozicki and Sharon Wood-Turley).
As a student at Iowa State University, president of Mortar Board, a women’s honorary, and president of Alpha Gamma Delta, a social sorority.
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Publications/Presentations/Patents
Selected Writing
Benedict, Linda and Chris Sigurdson. “Keeping Crises Contained.” Chapter in Media Relations Made Easy Training Guide. Association for Communication Excellence, Gainesville, FL, 2003.
Benedict, Linda and Tom Merrill. “Using a Newspaper’s Editorial Board” and “Using the Editorial Pages.” Articles in Communicators Guide: For Federal, State, Regional and Local Communicators. Federal Communicators Network, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 2002.
Benedict, Linda. “Diversity: ACE Seeks Ways to Celebrate Differences.” Signals. Agricultural Communicators in Education, Gainesville, Fla. June/July 2000.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “A Look at the Last Millennium: Experiment Station Positions Louisiana for Global Agriculture.” Louisiana Agriculture, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Baton Rouge, La. Winter 2000.
Benedict, Linda. “Newsletters.” Chapter in Communicator’s Handbook: Tools, Techniques and Technology. Maupin House, Gainesville, Fla. Both the 2000 and 1996 editions.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “Older Students Serve As Role Models: Louisiana Youth Learn Character Counts.” AgCenter Leads, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, La. 1999.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “LSU Scientists Take Aim at Red Imported Fire Ants.” AgCenter Leads, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, La. 1999.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “Million-Dollar Sweet Potato Revives Failing Louisiana Industry.” AgCenter Leads, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, La. 1998.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “LSU AgCenter Scientists Help Rid State of Serious Cattle Disease.” AgCenter Leads, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, La. 1998.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “Perspective: Fifty Years of Serving Louisiana Agriculture: Two Research Stations Celebrate Birthdays.” Louisiana Agriculture, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Baton Rouge, La. Winter 1998.
Benedict, Linda Foster. “Reaching the Black Press with the Land-Grant Message.” Journal of Applied Communication, Vol. 81, No. 1, 1997. (This is a refereed journal.) |
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