We work with a wide array of public and private partners to collaboratively address today’s water quality challenges related to land use and land management.
By providing a platform for communicating the College's world class land and water research and extension, developing training opportunities for conservation professionals, and facilitating community based partnerships like the Conewago Creek Initiative, the AEC has positioned the College as a leader in solving complex water quality problems.
Partner with Stakeholders
We meet regularly with a diverse set of public and private sector stakeholders in agriculture and the environment, pursuing opportunities for collaboration and increasing the impact of the College's land and water research and extension. We represent Penn State and the College in policy venues related to land, water, agriculture and the environment.
Integrate Research and Extension
We seek to increase the integration of the College's world class research and extension by facilitating high impact, multidisciplinary land and water research. Working closely with our parent institute, the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science (SAFES), we build collaborative, innovative research teams that span the College and the University. We increase the impact of that research by developing and leading community and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Enrich Student Experience with Engaged Scholarship
We work closely with the ENRI-administered Environmental Resource Management (ERM) Program—the College's multidisciplinary environmental science major--to provide students with an enhanced educational experience through engaged scholarship. We leverage our extensive partnerships with agriculture and conservation interests in government, NGO, academic, and private sectors to provide unique and enriching opportunities for Penn State students, including internships with the AEC and its partners, and active participation in the innovative, solution-based initiatives which we lead and facilitate.
Engage Communities
Our innovative community engagement model, which combines and leverages the College's stakeholder engagement, research, extension and engaged scholarship to help solve water quality problems, is a hallmark of our work.
Through our Conewago Creek and Lower Susquehanna Initiatives, the AEC has established itself as a leader in building agriculture and conservation partnerships in Pennsylvania. Its high priority initiatives in the Commonwealth's "nutrient hot spot" of the Lower Susquehanna will continue and grow.
Following the successful Conewago partnership model, we are developing a Sustainable Watersheds Program at Penn State, which will engage local watershed partners and provide increased engaged scholarship opportunities for Penn State students.