Professor Emerita Receives National Recognition for 4-H Research Database

Dec 22, 2025

Jan Scholl-Kennedy, associate professor emerita of agricultural and extension education and former 4-H extension specialist in the College of Agricultural Sciences, has been recognized nationally for a project she spearheaded to document the existence of research that undergirds the 4-H youth development program.

Scholl-Kennedy will receive the prestigious Joint Council of Extension Professionals’ Excellence in Extension Engagement Award for her project, titled “Establishing a Research Base to Sustain the 4-H Program.” As part of receiving the award, she will present a keynote speech at the National Extension Leadership Conference in Savannah, Georgia, in February 2026.

Scholl-Kennedy, who began the project more than two decades ago, exhaustively searched the National Agricultural Library and its archives in Beltsville, Maryland, to document and analyze 4-H research. She subsequently found a rich storehouse of studies from 1911 to the present and indexed them in an online database, which can be found on the Penn State University Libraries website.

Source : psu.edu

Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.