Three faculty members and one former graduate student in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture have been named winners of 2025 extension awards for solving university problems, excelling in mentorship and research, making nationally impactful research contributions and leading with compassion.
Amanda Folck: Excellence in Extension Individual – Responsive
Amanda Folck, an assistant extension educator who specializes in turfgrass management, won the 2025 Excellence in Extension Individual - Responsive award. She was nominated by F. John Hay, an energy extension educator in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, for her responsiveness and impact with Nebraska Athletics.
In addressing the Husker Football practice fields, Nebraska Athletics reached out to Folck for her expertise and suggestions. She drew on previous experiences with Texas A&M Athletics and Purdue Athletics, along with collaborating with industry experts and Nebraska Athletics staff, to develop a renovation plan and applied research.
With Nebraska Athletics’ support, the research focuses on evaluating whether cold-tolerant hybrid bermudagrasses can adapt to the climate in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Based on collaborative recommendations, Nebraska Athletics completed renovations to the Husker Football practice fields from March to August 2025, including the installation of one of the tested cold-tolerant hybrid bermudagrasses cultivars, Tahoma 31.
Folck received the award for her timely response and commitment to providing science-based suggestions for the Husker Football practice fields with Nebraska Athletics.
Vipin Kumar: Robert L. Nielsen Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Applied Crop Production
Vipin Kumar, a December 2025 doctoral graduate in Agronomy and Horticulture with an emphasis in weed science, won the Robert L. Nielsen Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Applied Crop Production Extension. At the time of the award, he was a doctoral student in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. The award signifies Kumar’s impactful contributions to Nebraska Extension as both a teacher and a researcher.
As a doctoral student, Kumar has conducted research on combining cover crops and chemical and non-chemical approaches to managing herbicide-resistant weeds like Palmer amaranth, with the goal of improving soil health.
His research informed his implementation of extension programs. His field day presentations, CropWatch articles, statewide webinars and social media outreach allowed him to reach tens of thousands of stakeholders, sharing information about cover crop-based weed suppression, volunteer corn management and herbicide-resistant weed management strategies.
Kumar’s leadership in graduate student organizations and professional societies, his mentorship over agronomy students as a graduate teaching assistant and his authorship of 18 peer-reviewed articles are also notable accomplishments from his time as a graduate student.
Kumar’s adviser, Amit Jhala, nominated him for the award because his research on Palmer amaranth, his ability to produce practical solutions from scientific findings and his mentorship skills are representative of Nebraska Extension’s mission.
“Collectively, these qualities distinguish him not only as an outstanding graduate student, but as a once-in-a-decade Extension scholar whose contributions will shape agronomy and weed science for years to come,” Jhala said.
Nevin Lawrence: Excellence in Extension Individual – Research-Based
Nevin Lawrence, an associate professor specializing in weed management, won the Excellence in Extension Individual - Research-based award. Amit Jhala, associate department head, nominated him for the award for his metamitron research. His research also earned him an award from the Western Sugar Cooperative last March, as his metamitron research helped control Palmer amaranth for sugar beet growers.
Palmer amaranth has overrun sugar beet fields in Nebraska and Colorado over the last 6 years, impacting yield and profits. This problem has been exacerbated by the lack of herbicides specifically labeled to manage Palmer amaranth in sugar beets. Lawrence’s research between 2018 and 2023 produced a solution.
Metamitron is an herbicide that had not been registered for use in the United States until Lawrence’s work, establishing crop safety, integration strategies and optimal use rates, encouraged the Environmental Protection Agency to establish an emergency metamitron label in 2023. The label, called Goltix, was approved for use on 38,000 acres of sugar beets in Nebraska and Colorado.
Beyond his research, Lawrence and his Weed Science program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln dedicated their time and resources to help growers in that region effectively use the herbicide. They distributed a Goltix fact sheet to more than 700 growers and tackled 75 Extension calls during the 2024 growing season, efforts that culminated in $7.8 million in yield savings and a $21 million economic impact that year. This success spurred the sugar beet industry’s adoption and expansion of the Goltix label to Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon in 2025.
Ritika Lamichhane: Extension Lead Educator of the Year
Ritika Lamichhane, a water and cropping systems extension educator specializing in precision agriculture and nutrient management, won the Extension Lead Educator of the Year award for her compassionate and inspiring leadership in Nemaha County.
Lamichhane’s supervisor, Karly Black, nominated her for the award for helping her office persevere through a team member’s major health crisis. She said Lamichhane’s strong relationships with her colleagues and her willingness to take on additional responsibilities were key in helping the Nemaha County office navigate a challenging and uncertain time. Her empathetic leadership and her dedication to fostering a positive work environment are commendable.
“Ritika continues to foster a positive, high-performing environment where staff feel valued and empowered,” Black said.
