Edward Abbey wrote, “may your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.” If Abbey had known me, he would have ended that sentence with “Steph”.
Hi class! Glad to meet you! I’m a local Central Pennsylvania farm girl who returned to Happy Valley to pursue a doctorate in Agricultural & Biological Engineering. I think that decision stems back to that day I bumped my head, very hard (wink). When I defended my Master’s thesis at the University of Illinois, I bolted out of academia, booked it to the real world, and planned to never come back. But plans change and here I am, back, in pursuit of true science, creative engineering, and the ability to impact our world through teaching, outreach, and farmer extension.
I’m a 2nd semester PhD student working in the Tom Richard lab with a focus on the synergies between water quality and bioenergy (did someone say anaerobic digestion of food waste, manure, and perennial conservation grasses?). I’m an avid runner, climber, and certified river rat. My love of sustainable agricultural and farmer extension stems from my roots here in Happy Valley. And my excitement to teach stems from this seemingly never-ending desire to empower fellow farmers and bright young minds (like my own kiddo, James). I want my career path to focus on sharing knowledge with others in ways that inspire and encourage positive change. And that’s why I’m taking this course—to learn how to be a better at that, to be a better teacher, to be a better extension leader, and to build a tool box that can help me along the way.
Looking forward to embarking on the adventure with you!
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