UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- J. Franklin Egan, doctoral candidate in ecology, is the recipient of the 2012 Intercollege Graduate Student Outreach Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievements of degree candidates in any of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs that relate to bringing their scholarship to the community in order to benefit society in some manner. The award also endeavors to encourage future scholars and researchers to embrace outreach and promote a commitment to advancing the welfare and quality of life for the public through scholarly pursuits.
Egan’s dissertation research addresses the agronomic and environmental consequences of increased reliance on newer genetically modified herbicide resistance crops that are bred to be unaffected by multiple herbicide classes of chemistry. He received the award for raising awareness and generating discussions in the weed science field about the potential costs and benefits of the new herbicide resistant crops, and for extending his research findings to farmers, industry scientists, researchers and government regulators.
Over the past two years, Egan also served as president of the newly formed Penn State Center for Sustainability Community Garden and “contributed in very real ways toward ‘growing’ enthusiasm around locally produced foods,” said his adviser, David Mortensen. The garden was included on the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture farm tour the past two summers, and Egan “worked with other gardeners to organize and teach three workshops on organic vegetable gardening for Penn State students, staff, faculty, and community members in State College.”
Egan was recognized with the Intercollege Graduate Student Outreach Achievement Award at the Graduate School Alumni Society's Spring Social and Recognition Program held on March 24. The award was made possible by a gift from alumni, Steven E. and Alice R. Linberg, and a matching commitment from University Outreach. For more information about the award, visit http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/current/funding/programs/outreach.html online.