Showing posts with label PSU Faculty/Staff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PSU Faculty/Staff. Show all posts

Monday, February 19, 2018

Welcome Mr. Seaman and Ms. Mathie to PSU TeachAg! @JonSeamanAgEd @BethMathiePsu

Penn State Center for Professional Personnel Development has two new members that have been hired to assist in providing an effective impact on training new and beginning teachers as well as current educators. We welcome Jonathan Seaman and Bethany Mathie our new Co-Curricular Program Managers. Lets meet our new managers!

Jonathan is originally from Kutztown, PA, past volunteer firefighter, and a former graduate of Agriculture and Extension Education at Penn State. Jon was led to this position because of his natural passion for agriculture education and felt his skill set suited this position well. His past experiences from his childhood, working on dairy farms, training to be a firefighter, and FFA leadership and opportunities are what define his character in present times. Jon's goals in this position is to introduce nanotechnology, 3-D printing, and the use of certification programs in Pennsylvania agricultural education programs, to be a resource for pre-service and in-service educators, and to implement the use project and inquiry based learning through agricultural educators. Outside of work Jon enjoys spending time with his family and dog Axle, as well as watching Penn State Football.

Beth is originally from Montoursville, PA and a former graduate of Agriculture and Extension Education at Penn State. Beth was led to this position as she was looking to come back to Pennsylvania from the Baltimore area where she taught agricultural education. She felt that this position was the right fit for her, and wanted a change of life. Her past experiences from her supportive parents encouraging her along and teaching in various schools including urban education has defined who she is a person in present times. Her goals in this position are to do the best she can to support programs and teachers (new and beginning) to increase the teacher retention rate. Outside of Penn State Beth enjoys reading, yoga, and chasing her three year old.

WE ARE, excited to welcome you to Penn State, and we wish both of you the best in accomplishing your goals in the position you hold! 





Luke Kerstetter
Communications Team Member
Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96
2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

PSU Teach Ag! Team: Laura Sankey Rice

Mrs. Laura Sankey Rice
"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." This quote by Henry Brooks Adams is a favorite of Laura Sankey Rice and it really does apply to her future goals. Rice (@LauraSankeyRice) is one of the newest faculty members here at Penn State in the Agriculture Education department and she hopes to continue to help develop the teacher preparation program to be one of the best in the nation.

She got her undergraduate degree from Penn State in 2007 then also got her Masters at Penn State in 2011. She is currently working on her PhD here at PSU so it is safe to say she has blue and white in her blood. When asked about her decision to work at Penn State Laura said, “I have a great respect for the teacher preparation program and the faculty within the program and was honored to have the opportunity to work with such great role models and help make a positive difference in the lives of students wanting to become well rounded, innovative agriculture educators.”

Before coming to PSU, Laura taught at Keystone Central Mountain and Clearfield Area High school. She also was a summer intern with Clearfield County Cooperative Extension. While teaching, Laura received a PAAE nomination for the “Teachers Turn the Key Award” in 2010 and also received a local grant to endorse and promote composting among the teachers at the school.

While she has many goals and hopes for the Agriculture Education program here at Penn State, the most important things in her life right now are her husband and their baby that’s on the way! Stop in the Ferguson building to say hello to Mrs. Sankey Rice and welcome here to the Ag Ed Family!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!

Laura Metrick 
2015 Student Teacher 
Twitter: @Its_LauraBeth
2014 Teach Ag Avenger