Global Teach Ag Network Faculty and Staff Honored With Penn State Global Awards

Apr 09, 2026

By Katie Bohn

Two members of Penn State’s Global Teach Ag Network (GTAN) have been recognized with awards from Penn State Global in recognition of their efforts to advance the University's global engagement goals.

Daniel Foster, associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences and co-founder of the Global Teach Ag Network, received the Excellence in Global Education Award. This award recognizes innovative teaching pedagogies used by outstanding faculty when teaching global and international content with excellence.

Foster was recognized in part for his creation of the Global Orientation to Agricultural Learning Program, a year-long professional development and immersion initiative for college students preparing to become secondary agriculture teachers.

Additionally, he has designed immersion programs that include shared classroom teaching with in-country preservice teachers; provided students with impactful global internships on projects such as instructional design, digital short courses and global workshops; and supported programs that expand students’ global awareness, including the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences.

“I’m grateful for this recognition, but no teacher receives an award without great students, supportive colleagues and an ecosystem that believes in the power of education,” Foster said. “The agriculture teachers GTAN is privileged to serve truly are the straw that stirs the drink, and that is why investing in their professional development is so important.”

Thomas Gabel, program manager in the Global Teach Ag Network, also was recognized with the Excellence in Global Engagement Staff Award, which recognizes an exemplary member of staff or an outstanding team of staff that consistently provides excellent support and leadership for global success at Penn State.

Gabel was recognized for his role in Penn State’s emerging partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s World Food Forum, a global platform that drives action to transform agrifood systems through the power of youth, science and innovation, and investment.

Source : psu.edu

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

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