Jean Parrella

Ph.D., Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

M.S., Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

B.S., Public Relations, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID

Advanced Research Methods Certificate, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Agriculture eLearning Development Certificate, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Dr. Parrella’s research advances the sustainability of food systems by investigating how strategic communication informs consumer and producer decision-making regarding agri-food systems innovations. Through her work, she seeks to answer the following questions: 1) What are the structures and processes for public engagement that best enable agri-food systems innovations to be communicated effectively to consumer and producer audiences? and 2) How should public engagement strategies about agri-food systems innovations be tailored based on audience characteristics, the decisions to be made, and the societal implications of the topic?

One area of Dr. Parrella’s research investigates consumers’ acceptance of foods produced or processed using innovative technologies, such as gene editing, nanotechnology, and upcycling. By exploring the social and psychological factors that influence these food choices, she aims to develop and assess the effectiveness of communication and marketing strategies designed to promote informed consumer decision-making regarding their adoption of novel, healthy foods. Another focus of her work explores how producers seek, evaluate, and use information to inform their agricultural practices, particularly climate-smart techniques. By identifying barriers to adoption and understanding their information needs and communication preferences, Dr. Parrella works to create targeted outreach materials and educational interventions that promote informed producer decision-making regarding their adoption of these sustainable practices.

Dr. Parrella’s research adopts a systems-thinking approach, recognizing that science communication occurs within complex contexts shaped by multiple interacting elements. These elements include the message, the information source, the communication channel, the presence of conflicting or inaccurate information, audience characteristics, and the broader social, cultural, and political environment. Through a systems perspective, she seeks to develop a robust understanding of these dynamic elements both individually and collectively by simulating the conditions of real-world communication environments. 

Orem, M., Leggette, H. R., Parrella, J. A., Lu, P., Palmer, K., Foster, J., Neely, H., & Noland, R. (2025). Harvesting trust: Exploring credible information sources about soil health practices for U.S. wheat farmers. Journal of Applied Communications, 108(4). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2553

Parrella, J. A., Leggette, H. R., Lu, P., Wingenbach, G., Baker, M., & Murano, E. (2024). What’s the beef with gene editing? An investigation of factors influencing U.S. consumers’ acceptance of beef from gene-edited cattle. Future Foods, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2024.100454

Parrella, J. A., Leggette, H. R., Lu, P., Wingenbach, G., Baker, M., & Murano E. (2024). Nanofood insights: A survey of U.S. consumers’ attitudes toward the use of nanotechnology in food processing. Appetite, 201, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107613

Lu, P., Parrella, J. A., Xu, Z., & Kogut, A. (2024). A scoping review of the literature examining consumer acceptance of upcycled foods. Food Quality and Preference, 114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105098

Norris-Parish, S. L., Leggette, H. R., Murphrey, T. P., Parrella, J., Richburg, A., & Herring, A. D. (2024). Beefing up communication skills of upper-level animal science students. Translational Animal Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae007

Parrella, J. A., Leggette, H. R., Lu, P., Wingenbach, G., Baker, M., & Murano, E. (2023). Evaluating factors explaining U.S. consumers’ behavioral intentions toward irradiated ground beef [Special issue: Risk perception, communication and behavior on food safety issues]. Foods, 12(17), 3146. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12173146

Landaverde, R., Rodriguez, M. T., & Parrella, J. A. (2023). Beekeepers and climate change: Perceptions, farm management adaptations, and information preferences for adaptability in honey production. Insects, 14(6), 493. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14060493

Parrella, J. A., Leggette, H. R., Kainer, M. P., & Bush, M. L. (2023). Exploring the applicability of the science communication research agenda to agricultural communication scholarship. Journal of Applied Communications, 107(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2428

Parrella, J. A., Koswatta, T. J., Leggette, H. R., Ramasubramanian, S., & Rutherford, T. (2022). Teaching scientists to communicate: Developing science communication training based on scientists’ knowledge and self-reflection. International Journal of Science Education, 12(3), 235–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2022.2068809

Koswatta, T. J., Parrella, J. A., Leggette, H. R., Ramasubramanian, S., & Rutherford, T. (2022). Improving public science communication: A case study of scientists’ needs when communicating beyond the academy. International Journal of Science Education, 12(2), 174–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2022.2055191

• Association for Communication Excellence Outstanding Dissertation Award (2024)
• American Association of Agricultural Education Outstanding Dissertation Award (2024)
• Bednarz Award (2023), Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, Texas A&M University
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Graduate Research (2021), Texas A&M University
• First Runner-Up Research Poster (2021), National Agricultural Communications Symposium
• Outstanding Innovative Poster (2020), National Agricultural Communicators Symposium

ALCE 3814: Life Sciences Communication and Public Engagement