Department of Agricultural Communication Service

Chris Sigurdson

Department Head

Department of Agricultural Communication Service

Purdue University

As department head of Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Communication, Sigurdson leads 41 professionals and staff engaged in news and media relations, marketing, and the production of educational materials in a variety of print and electronic media.

Sigurdson’s expertise includes media relations, issue management and risk communication.

After receiving a degree in broadcast journalism from Texas A&M University, Sigurdson began his career as a television reporter for a CBS affiliate in Bryan-College Station, Texas. In 1988, he went to work for Texas A&M Sea Grant and created a video production unit for promotional and educational documentaries on marine and coastal issues. The group won several awards for programs on beach and offshore trash dumping, coastal erosion and seafood nutrition.

In 1991, Sigurdson accepted a news writer position at Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Communication, writing about environmental issues and science and producing video news releases. He became news coordinator after three years, overseeing staff efforts in state and national media relations, science writing, public affairs and issue management, and legislative communications.

Sigurdson was appointed interim department head of AgComm in October 1999 and department head in 2004. The department produces two magazines, an electronic newsletter, the Ag Answers e-mail and Internet delivered audio service for farmers and farm broadcasters in cooperation with The Ohio State University, numerous television and Internet video conferences and more than 400 news releases and 800 print publications, Web sites, CD’s and videos each year. The department recently won awards for two intensive campaigns: “GoinAg” for student recruitment and “Purdue Extension Means Business,” a marketing campaign to position the organization as an engine for economic development. The department also has the only full-service museum exhibit design and production group associated with a communications office.

Sigurdson has won national awards for news writing, television features and public information campaigns and earned Awards of Excellence in media relations, writing and leadership and management from the Association for Communication Excellence. Recent publications he contributed to or led include “Benefits without Borders: Multistate Collaboration among Land Grant Universities” and “Welfare Guidelines for Laying Hens.” He served on two national committees to promote land-grant colleges’ research and education activities and chaired the writing committee for FAIR 2002, a publication outlining research priorities for the Federation of Animal Science Societies. He is a charter member of USDA’s National Impact writing team.

A popular trainer and presenter, he helped conceive and author “Media Relations Made Easy,” a train-the-trainer curriculum and workshop to teach university communicators how to train administrators and faculty in strategic media relations, message development and delivery. He also conducts an annual two-day media relations workshop for state directors from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Recent presentations include “A Beginner’s Guide to Animal Activists,” “How to Turn a Crisis into a Fiasco” and “Promoting Public Relations,” a public relations primer for entrepreneurs.

Sigurdson has taught the capstone class for Purdue seniors studying agricultural communications since 2000. The course covers advanced topics in communications and public relations, Web site design and development; and a writing project in which students earn by-lined publication in a state magazine.