Faculty in College of Ag Sciences lauded for teaching, extension excellence

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —  Three faculty members in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently were recognized for their exemplary work in teaching as recipients of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2024 National Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State honorees were Michael Mashtare Jr., assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering; Margaret Hoffman, assistant professor and program coordinator, landscape contracting major; and Claudia Schmidt, assistant professor of marketing and local/regional food systems.

The awards, which celebrate university faculty for using innovative teaching methods, service to students, and excellence in extension outreach and impact, were presented during the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ annual meeting in November.

“We applaud Drs. Mashtare and Hoffman for their exceptional creativity, passion and dedication to teaching and student engagement,” said Tracy Hoover, associate dean for undergraduate education. “Their recognition reflects their impact as role models and educators. We also thank Dr. Schmidt for advancing our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing agricultural producers and processors. Together, they exemplify the power of outstanding instruction and leadership.”

Mashtare, one of two educators nationwide to receive the National Teaching Award, joined the college’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in 2020. He teaches soil and water management, environmental analysis, land disposal of waste, research methods, technical communications, and an inter-institutional capstone (service learning) course. Prior to 2020, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy and the Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University.

Since 2015, Mashtare has taught more than 2,500 students. While his lab’s research is focused on the fate and transport of emerging contaminants, his other research interest is teaching and learning, specifically in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; building classroom community; integrating best practices from remote learning into in-classroom instruction; and the innovative use of artificial intelligence and technology-enhanced pedagogy to support student learning and engagement.

In the past four years, he has participated in more than 25 DEIB-focused and teaching-related design academies, workshops, learning communities, reading groups, and related programming; participated in 15 workshops on using technology to support student learning and engagement; and secured funding for projects focused on teaching and learning, DEIB, curriculum, and supporting student community.

Mashtare earned his bachelor’s degree in natural resources and environmental science and a doctoral degree in agronomy from Purdue University.

Hoffman was a Regional Teaching Award recipient. In addition to teaching, she serves as an adviser to landscape contracting students and the college’s Horticulture Club. She teaches courses on landscape design, landscape construction, plant identification, and estimating and bidding. She emphasizes functional designs that sustainably meet client requirements while supporting regional ecological communities and improving aesthetics. Her research focuses on sustainable landscape technologies and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Hoffman combines student engagement, creating a safe, inclusive environment, and experiential learning to form a unified practice. These foundational approaches support student mastery of concepts, critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. She employs innovative and inclusive teaching practices such as 360 virtual tours in design courses. She also started a mentor program during the COVID-19 pandemic to help students develop a community of practice and receive professional input on final projects.

She has received many University and professional teaching awards, including the college’s Harbaugh Faculty Scholar Award in 2023 and 2024, the Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology Faculty Fellow Award 2020–2022, the 2022 Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology Faculty Engagement Award, and the 2022 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Educator Award.

Hoffman received her bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota and her doctoral degree in horticulture from Penn State.

Schmidt received a National Excellence in Extension Award for an Individual. An affiliate faculty member of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development at Penn State, her research has broadened the understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing small- to medium-sized agricultural producers and processors within local food networks and women farmers. She has translated her findings into on-the-ground impacts through her research-based Penn State Extension programming, which has been recognized with numerous awards.

Schmidt’s primary extension focus is agritourism programming, which explores practical strategies to enhance the sustainability and success of agritourism ventures. She has secured more than $800,000 in funding to support her research and extension efforts.

As an extension economist, she collaborates with production specialists on various specialty crop initiatives. She has served as a co-principal investigator on 18 projects totaling $11.6 million. She developed and leads the Penn State Agritourism program and works with national and international partners to improve the support ecosystem for agritourism entrepreneurs. Schmidt is an member of the National Extension Tourism Network, the International Agritourism Research Network, and the Global Agritourism Network.

Before joining Penn State in 2018, Schmidt worked in the Canadian private agricultural research sector. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Jeff Hyde, associate dean and director of Penn State Extension, praised Schmidt’s efforts to guide farmers in navigating the challenges and opportunities of agritourism. He noted that her work has been instrumental in helping producers make well-informed decisions about what strategies to pursue — and which to avoid.

“I am incredibly proud of Claudia’s contributions to educating agricultural producers in Pennsylvania and beyond,” he said. “Her work has been exceptional, and she is an asset to the college and Penn State Extension.”