Professional Experience:

• 2002-present, Assistant Professor- Service-Learning and Outreach, College of Agricultural Sciences, 75% research, 25% extension, Department of Agricultural & Extension Education, The Pennsylvania State University
• 2001, Visiting Scholar and Instructor,
  University of Limpopo, Pietersburg, South Africa
• 1999-2001, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, Virginia Cooperative Extension

Education:

• 2002., Ph.D., Michigan State University
• 1992, M.S., Michigan State University
• 1993, B.S., University of Florida

Honors/Awards:

• John Glenn Service-Learning Scholar. The John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy at The Ohio State University recognizes twenty-five scholars whose scholarship efforts contribute to advancing the understanding of or adoption of service-learning, with specific emphasis on K-12 education. (2007).
• Emerging Scholar. A research based project funded by Brandeis University’s Center for Youth and Communities (CYC), CIRCLE, and the International Center for Research on Civic Engagement and Service-Learning (ICR-CESL) at the University of California, Berkeley that recognized and provided support and encouragement for a new generation of diverse service-learning researchers. (2007).
• Emerging Scholar Award, Honored at the 6th Annual International Conference in Service Learning Research (November 2006).
• Joan Luerssen Faculty/Horace T. Woodward Faculty Enhancement Fund in the College of Agricultural Sciences, recipient; Monetary Award of $2000 to support professional development. (2005).

Selected Publications:

• Webster, N. & Worrell. F. (In press). Academically Talented Students’ Attitudes Toward Service Learning. Gifted Child Quarterly.
• Webster, N. & Ingram, P. (2007). Exploring the Challenges for Extension Educators Working in Urban Communities. Journal of Extension. [Online], 45(3). Available at:
  http://www.joe.org/joe/2007june/iw3.shtml
• Webster, N. & Aronson, K. (2007). A Model for Creating Engaged Land Grant Universities: Penn State’s Experience. Journal of Higher Education and Outreach,31(5), pp. 265-277.
• Webster, N. Bruce, J. & Hoover, T. (2006). Understanding the Perceptions of Service Learning with Teen Leaders. Journal of Leadership Education. 5(1), pp. 26-38.
• Bruce, J., Webster, N. & Hoover, T. (2006). Developing Youth Voice in Service Learning Projects. Journal of Extension [Online], 44(4). Available at:
  http://www.joe.org/joe/2006august/index.shtml
• Webster, N. & Wayne, G. (2006). Exploring Youth Development Workers in the Process of Civic Youth Engagement in Trinidad and Tobago. Journal of the Association of International Agricultural Extension Educators. 13(2), pp. 15-25.
• Webster, N. & Hoover, T. (2006). Impact of an Urban Service Learning Experience on Agricultural Education Students. Journal of Agricultural Education, 47(4), pp. 76-90.]\
• Hoover, T. & Webster, N. (2004). Modeling Service Learning for Future Leaders of Youth Organizations. Journal of Leadership Education. 3(3), pp. 58-62.

Office:

109 Ferguson Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-2695
Fax: 814-863-4753
E- mail: nsw10@psu.edu

Selected Peer Reviewed Book Chapters

• Webster, N. (in press). Enriching School Connection and Learning in African American Urban Youth: The Impact of a Service-Learning Feasibility Project in Inner City Philadelphia. In S. Gelmon & S. Billig (Eds.), From Passion to Objectivity: International and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Service-Learning Research, Advances in Service Learning Research.
• Webster, N. (2005). Racial socialization and youth activism. In Sherrod, L., Flanagan, C. A., & Kassimir, R. (Eds.). Youth activism: An international encyclopedia. (pp. 520-521). Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing.
• Aronson, K. R, Webster, N. S., Parker, J., Reason, R., Ingram, P., Mitchell, K. (2005). Developing Plans for a Randomized Control Trial to Evaluate a Conceptual Model of Service-Learning. In J. Callahan, S. Root, S. Billig (Eds.), Improving Service-Learning Practice: Research on Models to Enhance Impacts, Advances in Service Learning Research (pp. 82-91). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Research Focus

My research focuses on understanding the impact of service learning experiences on youth and young adults in school and community based settings. My emphasis is on service learning and outreach as an intervention tool for minority youth in marginalized low-income communities.

Research Areas

• Civic engagement on youth
• Positive youth development
• Minority and at-risk youth
• Social change and activism

Professional Associations

• International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE)
• American Educational Research Association AERA)
• Association for International Agriculture and Extension Educators (AIAEE)
• Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)

Research Projects

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Service Learning Program in Philadelphia, PA
• Urban Service Learning Institute
• Youth Civic Engagement in Trinidad and Tobago