C-CHANGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant
Abigail Schulte is a graduate student research assistant working on their master's degree in agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University with a focus on solid-state anaerobic digestion of beef manure and prairie grass. Their work focuses on Goal 1 of the Grass2Gas project in providing experimental lab work and data that can be used later by modelers.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Professor of Dairy Nutrition
Job Titles:
- Science Bound Director / Iowa State University / Email
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in Agronomy
Job Titles:
- Professor of Production Systems
- Professor of Production Systems and Modeling / Associate Professor of Production Systems and Modeling
Armen R. Kemanian, Professor of Production Systems and Modeling in the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University leads the Agroecosystems Modeling Lab at Penn State. Kemanian's research integrates multiple scales across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum and focuses on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and water in monocultures and polycultures across the landscape. Dr. Kemanian is the lead developer of the Cycles Agroecosystem Model, and its 3-D landscape level counterpart Cycles-L. These models serves as research and decision support tools applied at farm and landscape scales. Kemanian's research program links fundamental research with societal concerns regarding food production, climate change, and the preservation of environmental integrity. Dr. Kemanian's work intersects with Goal 2 of the Grass2Gas project.
Brooke Rogers is a Regenerative Agriculture Specialist at Iowa State University's Bioeconomy Institute. Rogers collaborates with members across each of the Grass2Gas Goal teams to communicate research findings with the wider public while creating interpretative materials and managing C-CHANGE social media profiles and website.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Undergraduate Research Assistant
Celia Neuzil is an Undergraduate Research Assistant on the Grass2Gas project with an integral role in Goal 2. Reviewing key literature to identify the optimal times and methods of harvesting native prairie biomass for anaerobic digestion that will maximize grassland wildlife benefits. My primary focus is on Prairie STRIPS and grassland birds.
Chris Morris is a Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant at Iowa State University, co-majoring in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Sociology. His major professor is Dr. J. Arbuckle, and his research focuses on examining factors that influence farmers to adopt soil and water conservation practices. He worked as a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Provider for 15 years in Texas. Chris is a member of Goal 3, conducting and analyzing stakeholder interviews and assisting with conducting stakeholder workshops.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Job Titles:
- Professor of Rural Sociology
Job Titles:
- Ecological Services Specialist
Affiliations
Roeslein Alternative Energy
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director for Regenerative Agriculture at the ISU Bioeconomy Institute
- Deputy Director, Regenerative Agriculture
J. Gordon Arbuckle, Ph.D. is a professor of rural sociology; his research and extension efforts focus on improving the environmental and social performance of agricultural systems. His role on the Grass2Gas project is as a social scientist working with the Goal 3 team to conduct a stakeholder engagement process that is helping the other Grass2Gas project components to consider stakeholder perspectives.
Job Titles:
- C - CHANGE Director
- Co - Director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State University, C - CHANGE Director, and Professor in Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Job Titles:
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
Job Titles:
- Conservation and Cover Crop Outreach Specialist
Job Titles:
- Crop Sciences Professor / Extension Biomass Crop Specialist
Affiliations
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Job Titles:
- Dean 's Professor of Supply Chain Management
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
Heather Karsten is an agroecologist and a faculty member in the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University. As a member of the Grass2Gas Goal 2 team, she conducts field research on crop and nutrient management strategies to conserve digested manure nutrients for crop production while reducing losses to the environment and fertilizer inputs. She also studies cover crop strategies to increase biomass production for anaerobic digestion and ecosystem services and contributes to the Penn State Grass2Gas Extension team represented on Goals 2 and 3.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Statistics
- C - CHANGE Smart Technology Lead
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in Natural Resource Ecology and Management
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant
Katherine "Katie" Wild is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Grass2Gas project, being are advised by Dr. Mark Mba-Wright. Katie is working on Goal 1 focusing research on renewable natural gas laboratory processes to determine if the process is economically viable and environmentally friendly, by using techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment to quantify the process.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Director
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Agricultural Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University
Kevin Kimle serves as the Rastetter Chair of Agricultural Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University, Director of the Start Something College of Agriculture and Life Sciences program, and Teaching Professor in the Department of Economics. He is also co-founder and co-director of the Ag Startup Engine, an investment fund and mentoring platform based in the Iowa State University Research Park. Prior to his appointment at Iowa State University, Kevin worked in a variety of capacities in agriculture, ranging from agtech start-ups, the seed industry, venture capital, commodity risk management, and agricultural and trade policy.
Job Titles:
- Interim Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of the Penn State University Sustainability Institute
Lara B. Fowler is the interim Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of the Penn State University Sustainability Institute, a Professor of Teaching at Penn State University Law, and affiliate Faculty for the Penn State University school of International Affairs. For the Grass2Gas project, she is helping oversee research on the law and policy associated with renewable natural gas throughout the supply chain as well as helping foster stakeholder engagement. This work is a part of Goal 3.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Project Manager at the ISU Bioeconomy Institute
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Iowa Nutrient Research Center Director
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management
Job Titles:
- Assistant Teaching Professor
Job Titles:
- Social - Ecological Researcher / Iowa State University / Email
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager
- Vice President of Marketing
Job Titles:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Specialist II
Job Titles:
- Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition