Research Soil Scientist
Research Interests
My research focuses on soil health, microbial ecology, and the functional diversity of the soil microbiome in agricultural production systems. My time is dedicated to investigating and quantifying the interactions of the soil microbial community composition, metabolic activities, and their influence on soil nutrient cycling, nutrient uptake, biological activities, and soil respiration. I utilize a system based and multidisciplinary approach to investigate the microbial ecology response to shifts in plant communities and abiotic factors including increasing temperatures and atmospheric CO2 and shifting precipitation patterns. My research will be used to enhance existing above ground mechanistic models for crop growth evaluation of management impacts on soil health, soil sustainability, and crop production resilience.
