UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Emma Rosenthal, a doctoral candidate in plant pathology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has received the 2022 Evans Family Award for Graduate Student Extension Achievement for her contribution to extension education in Pennsylvania and beyond.
The award was presented at the recent Gamma Sigma Delta 2022 Celebration of Excellence.
The honor, which includes a $1,000 award, recognizes graduate students who are excelling in extension educational programming. This may include working with extension educators and specialists; contributing to extension program development, delivery and evaluation; and assisting in extension workshops, training and other activities.
Full-time graduate students with extension educational programming experience who are advised by faculty in the college are eligible to receive this award once during their graduate career.
Rosenthal is advised by Carolee Bull, professor and head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology. She joined Bull’s lab in 2016 as a Bunton-Waller Fellow and received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows Program award early in her graduate career. She will complete her degree later this year.
Rosenthal’s research focuses on the molecular interactions between the important global pathogen that causes bacterial leaf spot of lettuce and its host plant.
She identified race-specific DNA sequences and generated culture-independent detection methods that allow for race-specific detection. She is developing these into verified tests, which will be used by growers, international seed production and testing companies, and diagnostic laboratories to deploy resistant germplasm.
Rosenthal recently published a Penn State Extension fact sheet on bacterial leaf spot of lettuce and is having it translated to Spanish.
Additionally, Rosenthal played a critical role in the development of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Latinx Agricultural Network. She co-organized the initial strategy network, an extension impact grant and a strategic retreat held in September 2019. She finalized a report and executive summary that is being used to guide actions of the network and Penn State Extension.
“Through her facilitation and motivation, the team she worked with is changing how Penn State serves Latino agricultural communities,” said Bull. “Her efforts will have a long-term impact on Penn State and the commonwealth.”
Along with these major efforts, Rosenthal co-facilitated Spanish language sessions at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey and has co-authored presentations and posters describing the Latinx Agricultural Network for scientific and extension meetings.
“Emma showed us that she not only realized that she first needed to understand the community before developing programming, but also has successfully identified mentors to understand the needs and then obtained funding to provide the programming,” said Maria Gorgo-Gourovitch, extension educator and affiliate faculty member in the department.