About the Department
Welcome to the college’s home for applied social sciences.
We are a small, welcoming community of scholars and friends united by our passion for preparing the next generation of teachers and improving our ability to reach out to communities. The scholarship in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education is related to people, society, and economic systems grounded in theory and methods from the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Faculty and students develop and employ rigorous approaches to discover fundamental and applied principles that advance science in their core disciplines. The department strives to improve the health, prosperity, and welfare of people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond. Our core disciplines for teaching and research are:
- Agricultural and Food Systems — focuses on the interconnections between producers, distributors, regulators, and consumers in a variety of issues related to food choices, markets, pollution, and health
- Community Development and Engagement — focuses on community resilience through civic engagement, leadership, and entrepreneurship to support sustainable communities and regional economies
- Environment and Natural Resources — addresses the human impact on fundamental natural assets, such as land, water, and air, and tackling the challenges that growing populations create for economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental sustainability
- Population Processes in Global Perspective —enhancing scholarship on migration and immigration, health, and material well-being of individuals and households across the world
The department offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees, with three thematic areas to guide our scholarship. These three themes utilize the respective strengths of each of the three core disciplines while providing an overall collaborative framework for research, scholarship, teaching, and outreach.
The Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology programs and the departmental main office are located in Armsby Building. The faculty of the Agricultural Extension Education program is in Ferguson Building. Come meet our faculty, staff, and students and discover for yourself why we are happy to call the department our home.
Latest News
November 5, 2024
Public pressure influences whether companies reduce their environmental impact
The effectiveness of national voluntary programs asking companies to pledge to lower their pollution and greenhouse gas emissions depends on pressure from the public, according to a new study led by a Penn State researcher.
Read MoreNovember 5, 2024
Penn State delegation will head to Azerbaijan for UN's annual climate meeting
Penn State will be sending its second delegation of students and faculty to COP29, the United Nations’ annual climate meeting, which will be held Baku, Azerbaijan, in November.
Read MoreOctober 23, 2024
Penn State hosting community engagement and applied research symposium Nov. 7–8
A symposium centering around community engagement and applied research will take place Nov. 7–8 at Penn State University Park.
Read MoreOctober 18, 2024
Penn State professor awarded UNESCO Janusz Korczak Jubilee Medal
Mark Brennan, professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, was recently awarded the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Janusz Korczak Jubilee Medal at a special ceremony in Poland.
Read MoreDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education
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