Meet Daniel Egerson, a trailblazing Nigerian scholar blending sociology with cutting-edge science to reshape U.S. agricultural conservation.

An alumnus of Niger Delta University and the University of Ibadan, where he graduated with top honors, Egerson is a recipient of the DAAD Academic Exchange Award from Germany and has received scholarships from the United Nations Regional Institute for Population Studies.

Now, he’s making an impact in social science in the U.S., applying his expertise to rural and farming communities.
Egerson applies social science techniques to advance an innovative co-production approach, uniting farmers, landowners, and practitioners across multiple states—including Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana—in the creation of a groundbreaking tool: the CRP Menu Tool.

This decision support tool simplifies the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program, empowering landowners with clear information to control soil erosion, improve water quality, and develop wildlife habitat while reducing information asymmetry between them and program practitioners.

Egerson’s research titled “Addressing Information Gaps in the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program: Exploring the Potential of the CRP Menu Tool to Enhance Landowner Decision Making” has garnered widespread acclaim, earning him the Graduate Research Award from Mississippi State University.

Speaking at the 2024 Mississippi Summer Science and Engineering Symposium, Egerson explained how his interdisciplinary collaboration—with conservation experts, geospatial analysts, software developers—addresses stakeholder expectations and fuels the development of this transformative tool. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the initiative reflects a bold integration of diverse expertise to address critical environmental challenges.

Egerson’s inspiring journey exemplifies the power of social science to drive meaningful innovations in sustainability and conservation.