UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Four Penn State faculty members have been named Harbaugh Faculty Scholars by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Tracy Hoover, associate professor of agricultural and extension education, Nicole Webster, assistant professor of agricultural and extension education, Martin McGann, associate professor of landscape contracting, and Dan Stearns, professor of landscape contracting, were honored for demonstrating a commitment to creativity and for cultivating new, innovative curricula. They are the second group of faculty members to receive the honor, which includes a $6,000 financial award.

Penn State alumnus Earl K. Harbaugh and his wife, Kay, donated $100,000 to endow the college's Harbaugh Scholars Program for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Their aim is to help faculty develop innovative teaching and learning processes.

"We are deeply grateful for the Harbaughs' generosity," says Robert Steele, dean of the college. "Thanks to them, this year's recipients -- and the scholars who will follow them -- have more opportunities to pursue new educational approaches that will benefit Penn State students."

Hoover and Webster plan to use the award to help bridge cultural and work relationships between two collegiate organizations within the College of Agricultural Sciences. A portion of the award will be used to further a service learning project in which Penn State students work with minority high school students from Philadelphia who are interested in agriculture. The rest of the award will be used for undergraduate and graduate student development in their department, as well as for professional development for Hoover and Webster. The award will allow the professors to attend national and international conferences.

McGann and Stearns plan to use the funding to bring in industry professionals to help increase integration of computers into existing design and construction studios. They will examine course content, hardware and software alternatives, and the physical layout of labs and studios.

Earl K. Harbaugh earned his bachelor's degree in general agriculture from Penn State in 1961. He and his wife, both Pennsylvania natives, live in St. Charles, Ill., where he is the president of Ditch Witch Midwest. Founded by Harbaugh in 1970, the company provides products, services and training for the underground construction industry.

In addition to this gift, the Harbaughs established the Earl and Kay Harbaugh Scholarship in Agricultural Sciences in 1994 and the Earl K. and Kay L. Harbaugh Trustee Scholarship in the College of Agricultural Sciences in February 2003. Earl is also a past member of the College of Agricultural Sciences committee for the University's Grand Destiny Campaign.

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Contact:

Cheryl Anthony cka106@psu.edu 814-863-0938 814-863-9877 fax

Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-863-9877 fax #232