Penn State Student Awarded $5,000 for Ag Research

By Blake Jackson

Penn State graduate student Grace Tiwari has earned recognition for her efforts to advance agricultural research after receiving the Future Leaders Fellow Scholarship from the Association of International Agriculture and Rural Development.

Tiwari, who is pursuing graduate studies in entomology and international agriculture and development (INTAD) in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, was selected as one of 10 finalists from 72 applicants invited to attend the annual Future Leaders Conference.

Tiwari was also named the scholarship recipient and awarded a $5,000 endowment to support her research.

The funding will help Tiwari investigate crop pest monitoring approaches used in smallholder farming communities and explore how these systems influence agricultural decisions.

Tiwari doctoral research focuses on combining technology, ecological modeling, and biological control methods to address challenges caused by fall armyworm and corn earworm, two pests responsible for major crop losses and threats to food security.

“The goal is to improve how growers respond to pest pressure by making monitoring more effective in the field,” Tiwari said.

“We’re currently focusing on developing a low-cost smart trap to conduct real-time monitoring of fall armyworm, so growers can make informed management decisions.”

Deanna Behring, assistant dean and director for Ag Sciences Global Faculty Affiliate, praised Tiwari’s achievement and highlighted the importance of her research goals.

“We are proud of Grace’s most recent accomplishment and thrilled that she has chosen the college and our INTAD dual title degree program to help her achieve her goals of blending science with policy and action to make a difference in the lives of people around the world,” Behring said.

Tiwari’s interest in international agriculture has been shaped by her research experiences in the United States and her background in Nepal. She noted that many U.S. farmers benefit from organized pest monitoring systems supported by extension programs and universities, while farmers in developing regions often depend on personal observations and shared community knowledge.

“For my INTAD research, I’m interested in understanding how structured versus unstructured monitoring systems shape farmer’s ability to act on pest pressure,” Behring said.

Looking ahead, Tiwari hopes to build a career connecting science, policy, and agricultural development. She aims to promote sustainable farming by combining advanced technologies with traditional farming knowledge.

“I would like to work within this interface of science, where technology and generations of traditional knowledge go hand in hand for a sustainable agriculture and food system for present and future generations,” Behring said.

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