KCARE - Key Persons
Amanda Schielke writes grants and reports for four state watershed specialists, and she also coordinates the state updates for Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) Nine Element Plans. In addition to these responsibilities, she assists with water monitoring data analysis for the Little Arkansas River WRAPS group.
Amanda grew up on a farm in southeast Kansas implementing best management practices for conservation. This formative experience led her to the University of Kansas, where she graduated with a B.S. in Organismal Biology. Since then, she has focused her attention on water conservation and environmental programs on both the county and district level.
Job Titles:
- Northeast Kansas Watershed Specialist
Daniel Skucius joined the KCARE team in 2023 and works in the Northeast Kansas watersheds. Previously, he served as the 4-H Youth Development Agent in Pottawatomie County, where he was the county program leader and delivered educational programming for the county's 4-H youth. In his new role, he plans to build on the fundamentals he learned while working in extension and with 4-H families.
Daniel is a graduate of Kansas State University, with a Bachelor's degree in Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprises Management.
Dr. Aleksey Sheshukov is an award-winning faculty member at K-State who specializes in the study of watersheds. His work examines the processes of ephemeral gully erosion, evaluates the best management practices for sustainable watershed management and restoration, and creates novel computer models to improve our understanding of climate and land use change impacts on watershed hydrology and water quality.
He received his master's degree in applied Mathematics/Theoretical Mechanics and his doctorate in Fluid Mechanics from Kazan State University in Russia. Dr. Sheshukov joined K-State in 2008 as a watershed modeling specialist. Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, he leads the research and extension program on water quality.
Dr. Andres Patrignani is an assistant professor of soil water management in K-State's Department of Agronomy. Originally from Argentina, Dr. Patrignani's main research focus is on the development and advancement of sensor-based soil moisture monitoring systems, the investigation of water management strategies for improved water use in irrigated and water-limited cropping systems, and exploring the interaction between global climate change and soil-water relationships.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Soil Science at K - State 's Agricultural Research Center
Dr. Augustine Obour is an assistant professor of soil science at K-State's Agricultural Research Center in Hays, Kansas. Dr. Obour's expertise is in developing soil management and agronomic production practices which protect soil, water, and air resources while sustaining crop yields and maintaining soil and environmental quality. His research includes nutrient cycling and soil quality, the development of oilseed and bioenergy feedstock production recommendations for western Kansas. He also leads investigations on tillage and impacts of cover crop management options on crop yield as well as on soil fertility and nutrient management issues in dryland cropping systems.
He holds a bachelor's degree in crop science from Kwame University of Science and Technology in Ghana, as well as a master's degree in agronomy and a doctoral degree in soil and water science from the University of Florida. Dr. Obour joined the K-State faculty in 2013.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Engineering Geology
Dr. Behzad Ghanbarian is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Geology in K-State's Department of Geology. A faculty member since 2017, Dr. Ghanbarian's research interests include many topics in geology, hydrogeology, environmental sciences, and engineering. His work includes investigations into site remediation, the back-infusion process, and how contaminants diffuse back from low-permeability zones to high-permeability zones.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Professor
Dr. Bill Golden is a research assistant professor in K-State's Department of Agricultural Economics. A specialist in natural resource economics, Dr. Golden is interested in farm management issues related to irrigation and the production of agricultural commodities. He has extensive experience in both academic research as well as private industry.
Dr. Carol Baldwin researches the areas of prescribed burning as well as the ecological and environmental issues affecting rangelands. She is a Range Specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at K-State and administers the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, one of 15 exchanges that cover the country.
Dr. Baldwin's main research project focuses on grassland burning and includes measurements of grassland fuel load using drones. The project will use satellite models and will collect first emissions data for grasslands in situ. Dr. Baldwin graduated from K-State with her Ph.D. in Agronomy and worked for the university as an Extension Assistant until 2008, when she joined the faculty as a Research Assistant Professor.
Dr. Charles Barden is a specialist in forestry, agroforestry and water quality. As the Director of the Tuttle Forestry Research Center and a professor of forestry in the Horticulture and Natural Resources department, Dr. Barden's work emphasizes two major areas: forestry and water quality, where he uses "trees to solve environmental problems." His research with the Kansas Water Resources Institute (KWRI) focuses on stream bank stabilization, to halt soil erosion by establishing deep-rooted plants to protect the banks. Dr. Barden is also studying solutions to prevent damage to newly-planted trees from deer. His extension duties include assisting agents and individual producers who deal in native woodlands or black walnut plantations, as well as those residents working on windbreaks and crop field buffers.
Dr. Barden received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rhode Island's College of Resource Development. He went on to study for his master's at Virginia Tech, in the School of Forestry and Wildlife. He received his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University, in the School of Forest Resources. Dr. Barden has been with K-State since 1998.
Job Titles:
- University Distinguished Professor
Dr. Charles Rice is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agronomy specializing in the relationship between soil quality/microbiology and climate change in grassland and agricultural ecosystems. Dr. Rice's work with KCARE includes acting as project co-director for Great Plains Grazing, a project researching how changing climate, land use, and markets affect beef cattle production in the Southern Great Plains. This work includes his studies on greenhouse gas flux from beef cattle grazing systems in the tall grass prairie, the effect of grassland grazing systems on microbial communities, and management practices for minimizing the environmental footprint of beef cattle grazing systems. Dr. Rice is also a member of an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team seeking to develop models leading to wide-scale changes in the management of the declining Ogallala Aquifer. This important work will inform aquifer management world-wide.
Dr. Rice was co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and his research has been supported by more than $15 million in grants from multiple agencies. He has been at K-State in the Agronomy Department since 1988. He is also a professor in the Department of Soil Science at Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Root Ecology
Dr. Colby Moorberg is an Assistant Professor of Root Ecology and Hydropedology in K-State's Department of Agronomy. His research focuses on root ecology and the interaction of soil properties and root development, including the development of new root imaging technologies. His interests also include the interaction of hydrology, how soils form in very wet conditions, and hydric soils.
Dr. Moorberg received his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Iowa State University of Science and Technology. He holds a master's degree and Ph.D. in Soil Science from North Carolina State University. He has been a member of the K-State Agronomy faculty since 2015.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Professor of Soil and Water Management at the Southeast Agricultural Research Center
Dr. Daniel Sweeney is a professor of soil and water management at the Southeast Agricultural Research Center in Parsons. Dr. Sweeney has focused his research on fertilizer application, tillage, and irrigation to improve row and forage crop production on claypan soils - the types of soil prevalent in southeast Kansas. He also has studied environmental issues such as land application of municipal solid waste compost and animal manures for row crop production, plant-based remediation of contaminated soil, and nutrient losses in surface runoff after turkey litter applications.
Dr. Sweeney is a fellow of three professional societies: the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and the Crop Science Society of America.
Dr. Sweeney earned a Master of Science degree in agronomy from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in soil science from the University of Florida.
Job Titles:
- Professor in K - State 's Department of Biological
Dr. Donghai Wang is a professor in K-State's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. His research includes investigations into bioconversion of renewable materials into biofuels and chemicals; biomaterials including protein adhesives, resins, and biodegradable composites, and near-infrared technology for analysis of physical and chemical properties of biomaterials. He is interested in how irrigation affects the physical and chemical composition of crops as well as yield and yield quality.
Dr. Wang holds a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering from Northeast Agricultural University in China, a master's degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has been a member of the K-State faculty since 2001.
Dr. Dorivar Ruiz-Diaz is an associate professor of soil fertility and nutrient management in K-State's Department of Agronomy. A faculty member since 2008, Dr. Ruiz-Diaz uses applied field experiments to develop efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sound nutrient management practices for agronomic crop production in Kansas. He focuses on the efficient use of fertilizers, soil test interpretations and fertilizer recommendations, as well as land application of manure and biosolids with emphasis on crop-available nitrogen. Within his research program, Dr. Ruiz-Diaz assesses environmental risks associated with nutrient management and tillage.
He graduated from the PanAmerican School of Agriculture in Honduras with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy. Dr. Ruiz-Diaz attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for his master's degree in soil science, and holds a Ph.D. in soil fertility from Iowa State University.
Dr. Eduardo Santos' research focuses on the transport of mass and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere. This work measures fluxes of trace gases between agricultural systems or natural vegetation to the atmosphere which can lead to improved predictions of future climate scenarios. These investigations also can indicate mitigation strategies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production systems. An assistant professor of micrometeorology in the Department of Agronomy, Dr. Santos also works on KCARE-affiliated projects, including research on nitrogen fertilizer volatilization from topdressing wheat.
Dr. Santos completed his Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from the Federal University of Espírito Santo in Brazil. He went on to research methods to measure and estimate leaf wetness duration - an important variable for plant disease epidemiology - for his master's degree at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. Dr. Santos attended the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, for his doctoral studies in land resource science. He has been a faculty member at K-State since 2012.
Dr. Ganga Hettiarachchi is a professor of soil and environmental chemistry in K-State's Department of Agronomy. Her research focuses on the chemistry of both nutrient and contaminant elements in soils, waste materials and waters, with the goal of developing solutions to agricultural or environmental problems. Dr. Hettiarachchi's research program includes both laboratory and field experiments on agricultural soils, contaminated urban soils, and mine-impacted soils and geomaterials. Using these, she works to understand the biogeochemical transformation of nutrients and potentially toxic elements, and their role in controlling soil-plant transfer, mobility, and attenuation processes.
Dr. Hettiarachchi has a Bachelor of Science degree in soil science from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. She attended K-State for her graduate work, and holds a master's degree in soil chemistry and a doctoral degree in soil and environmental chemistry. She joined the K-State faculty in 2008.
Dr. Gerad Middendorf is a professor of sociology and Interim Head of K-State's Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. A faculty member since 2001, Dr. Middendorf's main research interests include rural and environmental studies, the sociology of agriculture and food, international development, and science and technology studies. He is a researcher on the NIFA/USDA project "Resilience and vulnerability of beef cattle production in the Southern Great Plains under changing climate, land use, and markets." Dr. Middendorf's work examines the social and environmental implications of the agrifood system, agrarian landscape transition, and agricultural science and technology policy.
He holds a bachelor's degree in business economics and finance from Southern Illinois University, a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs/Latin American Studies from Ohio University, and a doctoral degree in sociology from Michigan State University.
Dr. Gerard Kluitenberg is a professor of soil and environmental physics in K-State's Department of Agronomy. His research interests include the use of thermal sensors for quantifying soil physical properties and processes; the transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in soil; field-scale special variability of soil properties and transport processes; and heat, radiation and energy exchange in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.
A K-State faculty member since 1989, Dr. Kluitenberg holds bachelor's and master's degrees in soil and water science from the University of California, Davis. He received his doctoral degree in agronomy (soil physics) from Iowa State University. Dr. Kluitenberg is a member of several professional societies, including the Soil Science Society of America, the International Union of Soil Science, and the American Society of Agronomy, among others.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Agronomy at K - State 's Southeast Research
Dr. Gretchen Sassenrath is a professor of agronomy at K-State's Southeast Research and Extension Center in Parsons, Kansas. Her research focuses on the improvement of long-term sustainability of farming for both farmers and consumers. Dr. Sassenrath has created a program concentrating on integrated crop and animal production systems that improve agronomic productivity, enhance soil and water resources, and increase economic return for producers.
Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti is an associate professor of crop production and cropping systems in the Department of Agronomy. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Ciampitti's research focus is on crop production for corn, soybean, sorghum, canola and cover crops. He leads projects examining nitrogen use efficiency in corn and nitrogen management approaches for maximizing yield. Dr. Ciampitti's other areas of interest include sustainable crop production, minimizing crop yield gaps, and soybean nitrogen fixation. He also is the leader of the KSUCROPS Production Lab, which focuses on dissecting complex interactions among genotype, environment, and management practices.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Swine Nutrition
Dr. Joel DeRouchey is a professor of Swine Nutrition and Management in K-State's Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. His research interests include livestock nutrition's influence on nutrient management plan requirements and new technologies relating to manure storage and nutrient separation. In his role as State Extension Leader, Dr. DeRouchey's environmental extension program assists livestock producers with regulations, nutrient management plans, new animal waste handling technology.
Dr. John Holman is the Cropping Systems Agronomist at K-State's Southwest Research Extension Center in Garden City and an associate professor in the Department of Agronomy. His expertise is in integrated cropping systems with emphasis in water use, crop/livestock integration, weed science, and forages. With this in mind, Dr. Holman's focuses his research on improving the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture production systems, with an emphasis on utilizing cultural and technological tools to address underlying concerns for cropping systems. Dr. Holman's KCARE-affiliated investigations include crop rotations suitable for limited irrigation and the development of advanced dryland production systems. These systems include tillage, livestock integration, crop rotations, and cover crops.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy and a master's degree in weed science from Montana State University. He received his doctoral degree in plant science from the University of Idaho. Dr. Holman joined Kansas State University in 2006.
Dr. Jonathan Aguilar is an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, based at the Garden City extension office. A native of the Philippines, Dr. Aguilar is an expert on water research issues, and his special focus is how these issues pertain to irrigated agriculture in central and western Kansas. His work for KCARE includes projects on new irrigation technologies such as Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI), soil and plant water status sensors, and a new multi-year crop water allocation tool. He is also a part of on-farm research and demonstrations of new technologies to improve irrigation efficiency and reduce water consumption and researches the impact of poor water quality plant growth, development, and yield in central and western Kansas.
Dr. Aguilar received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB). While there, his studies focused on land and water resources as it pertain to irrigated agriculture and environmental stewardship. After graduating, he continued to work at the university as a researcher as well as taking on several water resource-related projects with the UPLB Foundation, the Philippine Department of Agriculture, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Dr. Aguilar came to K-State to pursue his doctoral degree in biological and agricultural engineering and graduated in 2009. He joined the faculty in 2012.
Dr. Kraig Roozeboom is a professor in the university's Department of Agronomy. His research investigates how include crop production systems balance productivity, sustainability, and profitability. Another of Dr. Roozeboom's interests is exploring ways to optimize no-till cropping systems by evaluating crop sequences and rotations, increasing crop diversity via new crops and cover crops, and exploring cropping systems that maximize water use efficiency.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Crop Physiology
Dr. M.B. Kirkham is a professor of Crop Physiology and Soil-Plant Water Relations in the Department of Agronomy. Her research interests include soil-plant-water relations, specifically drought-resistant or sensitive plants, greenhouse gasses, sewage treatment, and phytoremediation (uptake of heavy elements by plants). Dr. Kirkham's work also includes water relations on the Seaton Hall green roof.
Dr. Kirkham has been named a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of American, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Crop Science Society of America and the Royal Meteorological Society. She has written several books about her work on soil and plant water relations.
Dr. Matthew Sanderson is an associate professor of sociology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work at K-State. He is a social scientist with interests in population, environment, and development. His recent research investigates how social relations inhibit or allow natural resource conservation. His projects examine how social structures influence groundwater management at multiple scales (from community to global); how social networks shape participation in group decision-making within common pool resource settings; how social factors affect adoption of irrigation technologies; and how culture influences perceptions of the science, knowledge, and information used to make decisions about agricultural adaptations.
Dr. Sanderson graduated from K-State with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics and a master's degree in sociology. He earned his doctorate in sociology from the University of Utah in 2008.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in K - State 's Department of Agronomy
Dr. Nathan Nelson is an associate professor in K-State's Department of Agronomy, specializing in soil fertility and nutrient management. His research projects primarily explore nutrient management, cycling, and distribution within soil profiles and across landscapes. Part of this research is investigating ways to increase the efficiency of phosphorus applications in agriculture, with a main goal of increasing food production while reducing phosphorus runoff into surface waters. Dr. Nelson's work with KCARE resulted in the development of the Kansas Agricultural Watershed Field Laboratory, a large in-field water quality laboratory at the Ashland Experiment Farm near Manhattan. This facility is used to investigate effects of agricultural systems on surface water quality and develop and verify best management practices to reduce non-point source pollution from agricultural lands.
A native of Manhattan, Dr. Nelson graduated from K-State with a B.S. in agronomy before moving to North Carolina State University where he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in soil science. He has been with the K-State faculty since 2005.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Specialist
Dr. Peter Tomlinson is an assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Agronomy at K-State. His research focuses on environmental quality, specifically microbial ecology and soil biology in agricultural systems. Dr. Tomlinson is part of the K-State team on the Great Plains Grazing project, investigating the resilience and vulnerability of beef cattle production in the Southern Great Plains under changing climate, land use, and markets. He also works on KCARE water research and extension projects to understand and improve water quality. Specifically, Dr. Tomlinson partners with local Watershed Restoration and Protection (WRAPS) groups, the KDA Division of Conservation, county conservation districts, and farms to reduce the impact of poultry waste on water resources.
Dr. Tomlinson graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and Agronomy. He attended the University of Arkansas for his post-graduate work, receiving a master's degree and Ph.D. in Crop, Soil and Environmental Studies.
Dr. Ramesh Dhungel is a post-doctoral fellow in K-State's Department of Agronomy. His interests include a focus on biomass and evapotranspiration; he is working to develop a tool to measure ET in addition to remote sensing.
Dr. Dhungel holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Idaho.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Member at K - State
Dr. Romulo Lollato is an assistant professor of wheat and forages production in the Department of Agronomy at K-State. Originally from southern Brazil, Dr. Lollato's research projects examine management aspects for improving Kansas farm productivity as well as profitability for wheat and forages. These projects include environmental assessment of maximum attainable wheat yields and yield gaps using crop simulation models, modeling plant available water at sowing in continuous winter wheat systems, and agronomic practices leading to maximized wheat yield and profitability. His extension work focuses on management and sustainability strategies, including the use of smartphone apps to improve wheat grazing management.
Dr. Lollato has been a faculty member at K-State since 2015. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Londrina State University in Brazil. He moved to the United States for his graduate work, and has a master's degree in Plant and Soil Sciences and a doctoral degree in Crop Sciences from Oklahoma State University.
Job Titles:
- Professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at K - State
Dr. Stacy Hutchinson is a professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at K-State. Her research focuses on the use of vegetated systems for the mitigation of non-point source pollution, the development of sustainable storm water and land management techniques, and the remediation of contaminated soil and water. Her work will help develop new treatment technologies for improved water quality and quantity as well as sustainable water management practices that mitigate swings in water availability. With KCARE, Dr. Hutchinson is investigating the use of disinfection of biological agents in the field using a mobile advanced oxidation process as part of the Water Research for the Fort Riley Net Zero Initiative.
Dr. Hutchinson received her bachelor's degree from Montana State University and was commissioned as a 2 nd Lieutenant in the United States Army thereafter. She served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for four years before joining K-State for her graduate work in civil engineering. She received both her master's and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from K-State and has been a faculty member since 2000.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor in K - State 's Department of Biological
Dr. Trisha Moore is an assistant professor in K-State's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Her research focuses on understanding and improving water quality, especially the processes by which natural-based engineered systems contribute to the production of ecosystem services (the benefits people obtain from those ecosystems). Dr. Moore's studies examine the function of these systems at a variety of scales, from site-scale mechanisms to the watershed scale, and her research group explores questions regarding potential tradeoffs and synergies in the spatial and temporal delivery of ecosystem services under various watershed management approaches. Although the context for her research has been in urban or urbanizing watersheds, Dr. Moore's research team also works in rural watersheds - like the Smoky Hill River watershed in Saline County - to study streambank erosion and discover new methods for streambank restoration. In addition to this work, Dr. Moore applied her research experience to the recent development of an integrated water quality program between the City of Wichita and upstream agricultural producers in the Little Arkansas River Watershed.
Dr. Moore graduated from K-State with B.S. and master's degrees in biological and agricultural engineering. She attended North Carolina State University for her Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering, but returned to K-State in 2013 to join the faculty here.
Dr. Vahid Rahmani is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. His research interests include climate change and variability impacts on water resources management, extreme weather event analysis, and water supply and policy. Dr. Rahmani's group works to understand and improve water quality and availability by investigating large reservoirs and small impoundments sedimentation and how wetland development upstream from federal reservoirs can improve water quality.
Dr. Rahmani attended Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran, where he received his bachelor of science degree in civil and environmental engineering. He received his master's degree in civil and environmental engineering from Shiraz University in Iran. He came to K-State for his doctoral studies in biological and agricultural engineering, with a focus on water resources engineering. He has been a faculty member since 2016.
Dr. Walter Fick is a professor of range management in K-State's agronomy department. A member of the K-State faculty since 1978, Dr. Fick's current work combines research, extension, and teaching. His research focuses primarily on prescribed burning methods, grazing management, and range improvement practices control of brush and invasive species in rangeland. These species include old world bluestem, saltcedar, and common honeylocust, among others. Specifically, his research evaluates new and current herbicides and works to develop effective management strategies for brush and weed control on rangeland and pasture.
Dr. Fick holds a bachelor of science and master's degrees in agronomy from the University of Nebraska, and a Ph.D. in Range Science from Texas Tech University.
Dr. Xiaomao Lin is an assistant professor K-State's Department of Agronomy, where he specializes in agricultural climatology, climate science, and bio-atmospheric interactions. He is part of the team working on moving towards a real-time drought assessment and forecasting system for Kansas, including the Kansas weather library and mesonet program.
Dr. Lin attended Chengdu University of Information and Technology in China, where he received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He received his master's degree in agricultural meteorology from Agricultural University in China. After this, he moved to the University of Nebraska, where he obtained his doctorate in agricultural meteorology. Dr. Lin joined the K-State faculty in 2013.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor in K - State 's Department of Biological
Dr. Liu has been a faculty member since 2012. Before joining K-State, he spent two years at Michigan State University, as a post doc working with animal nutritionists on dietary strategies for mitigating air emissions from livestock operations.
Dr. Zifei Liu is an Assistant Professor in K-State's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He is an air-quality specialist, whose projects involve smoke management for prescribed burning. Dr. Liu's work promotes science-based information on smoke management and smoke impact, and he provides educational workshops on this subject. He also has livestock projects, including better waste management for producers, investigations on livestock emissions, life cycle assessment of environmental impact of livestock emissions, and comparing footprints of different feed and management systems.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the Animal Sciences and Industry Department at K - State
Jaymelynn Farney is an associate professor in the Animal Sciences and Industry Department at K-State. As a beef systems specialist, Dr. Farney is part of the K-State team on the Great Plains Grazing Project, researching the resilience and vulnerability of beef cattle production in the Southern Great Plains under changing climate, land use, and markets. Among other subjects, she studies cover crops and forage production for the project.
Dr. Farney received her Bachelor of Science degree from K-State in 2007, and her Master's Degree from Oklahoma State University in 2009. She returned to K-State for her Ph.D. studies, where she earned her doctorate in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Flint Hills Watershed Specialist
- Specialist
Jeff Davidson is a watershed specialist, with a special focus on the Flint Hills Watersheds. He has been with KCARE since 2012, providing research-based information and educational programs related to environmental stewardship of water resources throughout the Flint Hills region. Jeff's work focuses on: the use of off-stream watering sites for cattle, improved water quality through rangeland management practices, confined feeding animal management, cover crop management, soil infiltration improvement strategies, and riparian zone management. Additionally, he is the initial contact for people who own streambank sites deemed highly erodible along the Cottonwood River. In partnership with these landowners, he helps to put streambank stabilization projects in place. These projects not only preserve crop ground bordering the stream, but reduce the amount of sediment that will flow into the nearby reservoir.
Jeff worked for K-State for many years previous to KCARE as an Agricultural Extension Agent in Greenwood County. He attended Colorado State University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Range-Forest Management and a Master's Degree in Range Science, specializing in range animal nutrition.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Specialist
Justin Waggoner is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at K-State whose work examines the influence of nutrition and management practices on cattle health and performance. Dr. Waggoner is part of the Great Plains Grazing project as a beef systems specialist, studying the resilience and vulnerability of beef cattle production in the Southern Great Plains under changing climate, land use, and markets. His work specifically focuses on topics such as nutrition and supplementation, ammoniation of forages, and the nutrition and management of early-weaned calves.
A native of Kansas, Dr. Waggoner attended KSU for his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science. He received his Ph.D. in Ruminant Nutrition from New Mexico State University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture
- Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects
Lee Skabelund is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional and Community Planning in K-State's College of Architecture, Planning and Design. His research interests include how planning and design can protect ecosystems or ecological functions, and how degraded areas can be improved (with a focus on urban areas). Mr. Skabelund led the planning work on the Kansas State University Stormwater Management Project. He also monitors the Memorial Stadium green roofs for soil moisture and plant health.
Mr. Skabelund is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He joined the K-State faculty in 2005.
Maria De Bernardi arrived in Manhattan this summer from her home in Argentina. Within the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at K-State, she will focus on research that tests winter grazing methods and their impact on soil regeneration. Specifically, Maria said that she'll be investigating production agricultural strategies to pinpoint specifics about nitrogen gases in grazing systems management. The results of this project could help scientists and other livestock managers understand the tools needed to help reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Communications Coordinator
- Marketing and Communications Specialist
Melissa Harvey joined the KCARE team as a marketing and communications specialist in 2017. She is responsible for developing materials for print and online publication, writing articles for the KCARE website, and working with faculty and staff to write any other articles for publication. This is Melissa's first position at K-State, but she has worked as a writer and communications coordinator at the University of California, Davis, as well as a consulting science writer and editor at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. Melissa received her B.A. in English, from Washington and Lee University, in Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Grants Specialist
- Specialist
Randy Griffith is the grants specialist for KCARE. His responsibilities include the day-to-day financial management of awards as well as the KCARE accounts.
He has been at K-State for more than 40 years in various departments, but Randy's connection to K-State began as a student when he received a B.S. in Business Administration (Marketing). His previous professional experience includes positions in the Admissions Office, Global Campus, Financial Services, and the College of Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Central Kansas Watershed Specialist
- Extension Watershed Specialist
Ron Graber is an Extension Watershed Specialist for watersheds in central Kansas. As part of his role, Ron coordinated the development, assessment and planning phases of the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) plan for the Little Arkansas River, the Smoky Hill River and Upper Timber Creek. His primary focus as a watershed specialist is to educate local citizens about non-point source pollution issues and motivate those citizens to implement water quality restoration and protection actions. Ron works with livestock producers, regardless of operation size, to conduct environmental assessment and provide assistance in identifying management options best suited for their individual operation. He also assists growers in water quality protection by providing information on best management practices (BMPs) for crop production as it relates to water quality.
Ron is a K-State graduate, holding both a Bachelor of Science degree and a master's degree in Agriculture. Prior to his work as a watershed specialist, Ron was a County Extension Agent for K-State Research and Extension in both Osage and Harvey counties. He has worked as a watershed specialist since 2000.
Job Titles:
- Little Smoky Hill River Watershed Specialist
Stacie Minson has served at the Big Creek/Little Smoky watershed specialist for over 16 years. She works as both the specialist for this area and the WRAPS coordinator, providing technical assistance to the 2.400 square mile area, which includes Kanopolis Reservoir. Stacie not only focuses on water quality in her area by working closely with producers to implement cropland and livestock BMPs, she also actively promotes water conservation and improved water quality through many educational programs in the community.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Both
Susan Metzger serves as director of both KCARE and the Kansas Water Institute (KWI). Susan has other leadership roles at K-State, including Director of Strategic Interdisciplinary Program Development,
In her KCARE leadership role, Susan uses her considerable experience to help secure and administer funding for efforts around water, fertilizer, soil health, and other natural resources research. She works closely with the KCARE team of Watershed Specialists to support their efforts to improve water quality throughout the state and their work with Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS) projects. She also represents KCARE with local, state and federal agencies and help coordinate work with water and soil conservation issues associated with increased cotton acres in Kansas.
Susan has broad experience representing Kansas State University and Kansas agriculture. Before her work at K-State, she was the Deputy/Assistant Secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, where she served the farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Kansas and assisted in the development and delivery of tools to grow the state's agricultural economy. Prior to that, she was the Chief of Planning and Policy for the Kansas Water Office, where she was the team leader in the development and implementation of the Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas.
Susan received her B.S. in biological sciences from the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, and was awarded a Master's degree in biological sciences from Old Dominion University. She received her Ph.D. in leadership communications from K-State.
Job Titles:
- Northeast Kansas Watershed Specialist
- Specialist for K - State
Will Boyer is an extension watershed specialist for K-State. He works primarily with Northeast Kansas watersheds, where he provides education and technical assistance to agricultural producers and other stakeholders. Will works one-on-one with livestock producers to find solutions to water quality concerns associated with their confined feeding and grazing operations using high-resolution mapping data and GIS software.
Will has been with K-State since 1998, and in his current position since 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Chadron State College in Nebraska, and a master's degree in environmental planning and management from K-State.