Nicole Santangelo Thompson

Nicole Santangelo Thompson has worked for Penn State Extension since 2012. She holds undergraduate degrees in Agricultural Business and Animal Science and a master's degree in Agricultural Education from Cornell University.

As an Extension Educator, her programs focused on improving the productivity and sustainability of Pennsylvania farming operations. Her interests are forage production, pasture management, corn silage production, field crop production, integrated pest management, water and agriculture, pesticide education, and sustainable agriculture.

Nicole was appointed Assistant Director of Agronomy and Natural Resource Programs in 2026. In this role, she strives to empower Extension educators and specialists to develop and deliver relevant programming that improves the sustainability and resiliency of Pennsylvania's agronomy and natural resource industries. She also serves as Pennsylvania's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Coordinator.