Announcing the Spring 2025 Outstanding Seniors

Please join the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics in congratulating our nominated Outstanding Seniors for Spring 2025! This semester’s graduating cohort consisted of hardworking and dedicated students who achieved greatly in both academic and personal goals. The selected outstanding students accelerated in their university courses and heavily involved their time within the community. With a strong and competitive nominee pool, the department respectfully nominated Susan Sharpe and Tyler Narramore. Read here about their academic and personal experiences, and their future endeavors! 

We want to wish each of our Spring 2025 graduating students the best of luck and opportunity in their future endeavors, and of course, remember to Bear Down, Wildcats! 

Susan Sharpe, Agribusiness Economics & Management, emphasis in Management 

At the start of her academic career at the University of Arizona (UofA), Susan knew she wanted to discover her place within the agricultural field. Through her initial plan of studies, she became passionate about plant science and biochemistry. Then, after taking a select few AREC courses, she realized her expanding interest in agribusiness. Susan explained, “By integrating scientific knowledge with economic and management principles, I have developed a well-rounded approach to addressing agricultural challenges.”  

As of Spring 2025, she is completing a double major in plant science and agribusiness economics and management, and minoring in music. While attending the UofA, Susan was awarded several academic distinctions from the College of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (CALES), and 1^st place Imaging award and Popular Vote award from the Arizona Imaging and Microanalysis Society (AIMS) for presenting a poster at the AIMS conference in Spring 2024. 

Beyond the typical science classroom, Susan participated in lab work with Dr. Martha Bhattacharya’s Neuroscience Lab and an overall 1,000+ hours in undergraduate research programs. Susan also held several chair positions for the U of A Equestrian Team and the Sigma Alpha, Professional Agricultural Sorority, which all supported her professionalism, organization, and leadership in agricultural advocacy.  

As a music minor, Susan was affiliated with several UofA groups or programs that influenced her career outside of the lab and classroom. Susan was a participant in the U of A Tuba Studio and UofA Wind Symphony, contributing to her minor in music and her love for it. She shared, “Being well-rounded is not just about excelling in academics but about embracing diverse experiences and finding unique ways to express oneself. Music has enriched my life and shaped my perspective beyond the classroom.”  

In her spare time, Susan supported several local organizations and held part-time employment. Susan contributed to the Southern Arizona Appaloosa Promoters as horse show MC every spring show, presented agricultural-based presentations and activities with groups of K-3^rd graders at local Tucson elementary schools, and led Sunday School lessons for her church group. She also worked as a clinical trial study coordinator at the Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates and Stryker Orthopedics, then as an MRI patient service representative at OrthoArizona.  

After graduation, Susan plans to pursue her PhD in plant pathology. She has respectfully been accepted into Penn State, and is currently awaiting callbacks from other universities, where she had the privilege to interview. She shared that her long-term aspiration is to find work in the organic biological control industry, then later, a role in a botanical garden. She continued, “I am passionate about finding sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for agriculture and am excited to contribute to advancements in this field.” Along with her long-term professional goals, she shared that she would love to marry, start a family, and travel and live abroad for some years to broaden her perspectives and experiences. 

Tyler Narramore, Agribusiness Economics & Management, emphasis in Economics 

Tyler started at the University of Arizona (U of A) with significant educational goals identified for himself: receive a GPA higher than 3.9, graduate in three years, and improve time management abilities. Now, in Spring 2025, he is completing his academic career with all three of those goals achieved to his standards; completing his Agribusiness Economics & Management degree with a 3.917 GPA, in under four years.  

Tyler credits his achievement to his ability to successfully manage time. He shared that planning out his schedule to involve university and community activities has supported his capacity to manage time in his personal and academic realms. Tyler explained, “Not only has this technique lessened stress, it has increased my confidence entering upper division coursework and a future career.”  

He explained that his experiences with group presentation work and projects, in AREC 403 with Professor Thompson and AREC 450/550 with Professor Zuo, made it "easier to lead peers and take constructive criticism to better [his] work." Tyler mentioned that he had a boost of confidence in these collaborative projects, allowing him to work more closely with peers, professors, and preceptors. Moreover, with this boost of confidence and reliability, Tyler noticed himself receiving improved course scores and obtained more meaningful connections.  

Another source that Tyler credited was his summer internship with the Verde Agricultural Service, a small Arizona family-run business established in 2003. During his internship as a field scout intern, Tyler was able to train in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), insect, weed, and disease identification, pest treatment and control methods in organic and conventional agricultural production, and so much more. He exclaimed, “I was able to check fields from the largest farming operations in Arizona and various large dairies.” 

Tyler’s internship allowed him to grow professionally, network with important Arizona agribusiness individuals, and enhance his knowledge, which came to be easily transferrable to his agribusiness major. Tyler explained, "From an agribusiness perspective, I quickly realized that regardless of the industry I choose a career in, a sufficient background in financial strategy—formed through the internship from analyzing farms, fertilizer dealers, and agriscience manufacturers—and a well-rounded undergraduate education can lead to a successful career in any field." 

Before Tyler started with Verde Agricultural Service, he spent his time working at the 7 Drag Farms—a family farming operation—overseeing agricultural activities like irrigation, pesticide application, heavy machinery operation, and ensuring efficient crop production. When Tyler is not working, Tyler volunteers many hours as a judge for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), fostering pets from the Pima County Animal Care, and volunteering with the Tucson Community Food Bank. Tyler's academic and community involvement is recognized by his several awarded scholarships and distinctions, such as the Arizona Crop Protection Association Scholarship (2022-2024), the Wildcat Distinction Tuition Scholarship and Wildcat Distinction Scholarship, and several other academic distinctions from the U of A. 

Following Tyler's graduation, he will travel to Kansas City, Missouri, to complete a summer internship with Bayer as a crop science sales intern, meanwhile diving into a Financial Prep program to get a head start for his graduate studies in Fall 2025. Tyler's goal is to receive a master's in Finance in two years, then begin his professional career. Leaving his career options open, Tyler is eager to find a career path that combines his agricultural background with his financial and business-oriented studies, to become a valuable individual in a major agriscience company, or his family's agribusiness.