Amanda Ashworth Receives National Early Career Award from USDA-ARS
Amanda Ashworth, PhD, has been recognized with the 2019 Herbert L. Rothbart Early Career Research Scientist Award from the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). The annual award is given to one USDA-ARS scientist who has made outstanding achievements within their first seven years with the agency.
Dr. Ashworth is a research soil scientist with the USDA-ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research unit at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She is receiving this award for her outstanding creativity in devising systems-based approaches to minimizing the threat of non-point source pollution from agricultural activities.
Dr. Ashworth’s work reflects a variety of skills and characteristics that result in tremendous research and outreach activities. She catalyzes high-performing teams of researchers and partners, reaching across diverse disciplines for collaboration. She is excited and passionate about developing creative solutions to help farmers improve efficiency of their operations. This saves them time and money, and helps reduce the impact of non-point sources of nutrients and other parameters being transported to waterways.
In fact, Ashworth and two colleagues (Mike Popp at the University of Arkansas and Phillip Owens, USDA-ARS) developed a precision agriculture software tool called “Tractor Guidance Analysis”. This tool helps farmers evaluate the economic and environmental benefits of employing tractor guidance technologies. These technologies can improve on-farm production efficiency and cost-savings by reducing the over-application of poultry litter, fertilizer, herbicide, and seed inputs. Ashworth says, “It’s great to be a part of an Agency that recognizes its scientists—I’m very humbled and honored to be this year’s ARS Early Career Award recipient”.
For more information about Dr. Ashworth and her research, visit the USDA’s website.
Photo caption: Amanda Ashworth, PhD, receives award from USDA-ARS.
