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 University of Delaware students continue a nearly 40-year UD tradition of competing in the Student Marketing Competition at the National Agri-Marketing Association 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.
“The competition is a lot like the TV show Shark Tank,” said Kelly Davidson, associate professor of applied economics. “Agrimarketing 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’ve developed.”
Davidson’s dedication to her role as faculty advisor to UD’s NAMA student chapter led UD senior and team leader Alasqa Farley to nominate Davidson for NAMA’s Dr. John B. Riley Outstanding Advisor Award.
Students enrolled in the Strategic Marketing Competition course (APEC 412) comprise the UD student chapter. The course, taught by Davidson, culminates in the annual competition.
“It’s a hands-on learning experience where students take all of the skills they’ve 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,” Davidson said. “It’s more than a marketing plan, though; students cover everything from promotion and advertising to in-depth financial analysis for their product idea.”
The course takes place over two semesters, during which time the students think through a new business idea from the ground up.
“NAMA is geared for the students to be the decision makers, to ultimately be the ones that make the project and flesh it out,” said Alfred Dukes, a junior in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics. “Dr. Davidson guides us and gives us advice.”
Each year, the team develops a new product; this year, it was KeraNests.
“The process is to extract keratin from poultry feathers, which are currently a byproduct of the poultry industry,” said Farley, an honors senior majoring in environmental and resource economics. “Then we use a chemical engineering process to turn that byproduct into a biodegradable plastic-like material.”
UD alumni, many of whom are former members of UD’s NAMA student chapter, offer help along the way.
“We spend a lot of time working with industry professionals, especially during the spring semester,” Davidson said. “They ask questions and offer feedback about the project, or they offer pointers on presentation skills.”
By the time they hit the stage in St. Louis, the team felt confident.
“They did fantastic, they left it all in the field,” Davidson said. “They showed up, gave a really great presentation, and received high marks on both the written and oral scorecards. I’m so proud!”
The experience was invaluable.
“Two years ago, I never would’ve imagined I’d have the confidence to compete on a national stage,” Farley said. “NAMA 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.”
Farley says this is due in part to the high standards Davidson holds her students to.
“Dr. Davidson is not afraid to give constructive criticism or be honest when she needs to be,” Farley said. “She has mastered the balance of pushing us to improve while making us feel supported and capable.”
Davidson’s support extends beyond the marketing plan.
“The first day I stepped into Townsend Hall, as a first-year student, I met Dr. Davidson,” Dukes said. “She told me all about NAMA.”
The conversation piqued Dukes’ interest; he joined the class in his first year.
“Dr. Davidson is always on your side,” Dukes said of his advisor. “She gives the best advice and helps us grow. She even helped me to find scholarships. I’m so grateful for that.”
Davidson’s deep commitment to UD NAMA and her students led Farley to nominate her for the Dr. John B. Riley Outstanding Advisor Award. The team kept the nomination secret.
“Even though we didn’t progress in the competition, I was still super stoked because I knew that Dr. Davidson would win the award,” Dukes said. “She was sort of down after we didn’t progress in the competition, but then we went to the awards ceremony, and she ended up winning Advisor of the Year!”
Davidson’s surprise was apparent as she made her way to the stage to receive the award.
“I was humbled and honored; it was an amazing surprise,” Davidson said. “It’s super special since it was student-nominated. It means a lot to know the impact I’m making on the students’ lives.”
Davidson describes her students as creative and ready to tackle the world’s biggest problems.
“By the end of the course, they’re ready to go into the world and start businesses or work as marketing executives or a variety of different careers,” Davidson said.
And her students are doing exactly that. This summer, Dukes is heading to an internship on Purdue’s performance improvement team. In the fall, Farley will return to UD to pursue a master’s in agricultural and resource economics.
“Working 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’s super awesome to see that development, and I’m so proud of all the students,” Davidson said.
