By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
The Panhandle of Nebraska had two individuals and a team recognized for the 2025 Nebraska Extension Awards. Dr. Charlie Stoltenow, dean and director of Nebraska Extension, and his team, traveled to different parts of Nebraska to present many of the awards in person. The group stopped at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.
Soni Cochran, Nebraska Extension Disaster Education Network (NE EDEN) coordinator, was awarded the Chester I. Walters “Extra Mile” Award.
Located in Chadron, she works closely with state and federal emergency management personnel, ensuring Extension is a trusted partner in times of crisis. She has completed FEMA training and requires NE EDEN members to complete the course as well.
“Soni’s dedication has brought critical resources to Nebraska. She secured a USDA-NIFA Rapid Response Grant of $300,000 to enhance Extension’s outreach and education in response to extreme weather. This effort has supported recovery across the state, directly benefiting families, farmers, schools and communities,” said Kim Bearnes, Nebraska Extension educator and the one who nominated Cochran.
Cochran has expanded the Nebraska Extension Disaster Education Network to more than 34 members, strengthened partnerships with state and federal agencies and secured significant grant funding to enhance outreach.
“She is a genuine leader whose contributions will leave a lasting mark on Nebraska and beyond,” said Bearnes.
The 4-H team, Panhandle Wranglers, achieved the Excellence in Extension Team Award.
For more than five years, the team of 4-H Extension educators Sarah Paisley, Melissa Mracek and Nathan Rice, along with their 4-H assistants, have conducted uniquely local and innovative 4-H programming for students across the eleven counties in Nebraska Panhandle schools.
In 2023-25, their programming topics included Animals Inside and Out, Connect the Dots and Inventure Day. The team developed and implemented Incredible STEM Day and Agsplosion, which focused on local commodities and was presented at the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development conference. In five years, they will have reached around 10,000 students.
In addition, the Nebraska Extension Panhandle Wranglers 4-H educators have developed robotic teams in nine cities and towns in the Panhandle. Educators and volunteers from the community provide instruction and coaching to make these programs successful for more than 100 youth. Several teams have gone on to win state awards and recognition. The Scottsbluff team attended the World Robotics Tournament and placed in the top ten.
The Panhandle Wranglers team of Nebraska Extension 4-H educators are Sarah Paisley, Melissa Mracek and Nathan Rice, along with their 4-H assistants (past and present) Kylin Munger (Jersild), Jennifer Coleman, Ashley Fenning, Ana Von Ruden, Sara Nelson, Audra Brown, Jana Schwartz, Joie Kendrick, McKynna Nolze, Morgan Wiant, Tessa Reece and Marie Nelson.
“Collaboration is the roadmap for success they have achieved by reaching and educating their students. The Panhandle Wranglers Extension 4-H team deserves the Nebraska Extension Excellence in Extension Award for being Uniquely Local in their Panhandle programming,” said Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator.
Dr. Nevin Lawrence, Nebraska Extension weed management specialist, was awarded the Excellence in Extension Individual Award.
Lawrence conducts research on weed management in crops commonly grown in the Nebraska Panhandle and actively transfers research-based information to stakeholders. Since 2020, Palmer amaranth has rapidly spread across sugar beet production regions in Nebraska and Colorado, causing yield losses of up to 60 percent in heavily infested fields. In many cases, infestations rendered sugar beet production unprofitable and jeopardized lease agreements due to massive seedbank additions after harvest.
He began research on metamitron, an herbicide not previously registered in the United States for controlling Palmer amaranth in sugar beets. The Environmental Protection Agency granted an emergency-use label for metamitron (Goltix) in 2023 for 38,000 acres of sugar beets in Nebraska and Colorado. The results were immediate: sugar beet growers who had previously suffered devastating losses to Palmer amaranth realized $7.8 million in yield savings in 2024, generating a total economic impact of $21 million. The Western Sugar Cooperative honored Lawrence with the “Exemplary research achievement award for control of Palmer amaranth.”
Lawrence is an Associate Professor and Extension Weed Management Specialist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff. He was nominated by Amit Jhala, UNL Associate Department Head of Agronomy and Horticulture.