SMARTSOILS.CA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Research Student, University of Manitoba
Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Andrew initially had little exposure to agriculture, but a general love for plants led him to pursue a degree in agriculture. He is currently working towards his bachelor's in agriculture, majoring in agronomy at the University of Manitoba. Andrew is working in Dr. Entz's lab studying Kernza (a perennial grain) and comparing it with common annual crops, often in one of Dr. Entz's long-term studies. Andrew became interested in Kernza because of its current novelty and after hearing about its proposed environmental benefits. After graduating, Andrew plans on pursuing a graduate degree in agriculture. He hopes that this experience will give him positive exposure to the world of research. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys reading, playing video games and gardening.
Job Titles:
- Biology and Sustainability
- Undergraduate Research Student, Dalhousie University
Anne is originally from Toronto, Ontario but now lives in Halifax where she attends Dalhousie University. She is going into the 4th year of her Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology and Sustainability. After working as an URSA research student this summer, Anne plans to complete her honours thesis in sustainability focusing on research in the future of food systems and how life cycle assessment can be used to better compare different methods of farming. She became interested in this topic when learning about the intersection of biology and sustainability and how they influence each other in food systems. This past semester Anne was on exchange at Aarhus University in Denmark and after her undergraduate degree, she hopes to return to Denmark to complete a masters degree in sustainable agriculture. In her spare time, Anne enjoys camping, hiking and photography.
Job Titles:
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Guelph
Azeem Tariq grew up in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He obtained a MSc degree in Agronomy from his home city, Faisalabad at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan). In 2012, he moved to Europe for further education on EU scholarship. He obtained a joint MSc degree in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Georg August University (Germany). He got his PhD in Climate Change from Montpellier SupAgro (France) and University of Copenhagen (Denmark). After his PhD, he has been involved in different Climate projects, to find the mitigation solutions for crop production systems. He got a competitive EU Marie Curie Individual Fellowship in collaboration with University of Guelph (Canada) and University of Copenhagen (Denmark). His research covers the area of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation options, nutrient cycling, precision nutrient management, sustainable crop production, participatory research, and upscaling the mitigation practices using modelling and participatory techniques. He studied the effect of land use transformation and agricultural nutrient and land managements on soil properties, soil chemical processes, atmospheric GHG emissions, water quality, and potential challenges and solutions for implementation of technologies at farm scale. His research can contribute significantly to the development of sustainable crop production and mitigation of GHG emissions, which are critical for addressing global environmental challenges.
Caitlyn Horsch is from Minnesota and received her BA in biology and environmental science from the University of Minnesota Morris. After graduation, she explored working as a field and lab technician in forest and plant-soil ecology labs. She recently graduated from McGill University where she was co-supervised by Dr. Cynthia Kallenbach and her previous employer Dr. Pedro Antunes. Caitlyn's research examined how different arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal life-history traits and community diversity impact soil carbon cycling and plant nutrition. She hopes this research could help to further explain AM fungi's role in ecosystem soil carbon storage and better inform the use of mycorrhizal inoculates to improve crop health and increase soil carbon retention. Through the CREATE program, she had the opportunity to do an internship with Viresco Solutions where she wrote the suggested methods for an ecosystem health assessment, designed to monitor soil carbon retention. Caitlyn plans to continue working in conservation and sustainable practices. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, novels, and backcountry camping.
Job Titles:
- Department: Guelph
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Dan grew up on a dairy farm in Brownsville, Ontario. He attended the University of Waterloo, majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in economics. Growing up surrounded and involved in agriculture fostered his interest in the environmental impacts of current management practices and the role of the changing climate on agriculture. Following the CREATE program and my MSc in Economics, Dan hopes to continue to be involved in policy and producer relevant agriculture and environmental research.
Deniz hails from Boston, Massachusetts and has spent the past four years studying Environmental Science at the University of Vermont, only two hours away from McGill, where she now studies. She sustained an abiding interest in forests and climate change throughout her degree and in her final year found her passion for soil micro-ecology and biogeochemistry. Deniz is most interested in questions about how carbon can most effectively be transferred from the atmosphere to biomass and soils. She is passionate about promoting natural climate solutions and the co-benefits they provide in the form of biodiversity conservation, clean water and human health. After graduating from McGill, Deniz hopes to join the private sector and improve the way carbon is accounted in forests and agriculture for carbon credits and eventually contribute expertise to national and international climate change mitigation policies. Outside of academics, Deniz enjoys doing yoga, writing about the world through her eyes and listening to electronic music.
Job Titles:
- Supervisor
- Professor of Agrometeorology
- Professor School of Environmental Sciences
Claudia Wagner-Riddle is a Professor of Agrometeorology in the School of Environmental Sciences (SES), University of Guelph, Canada. Originally from Brazil, Claudia has degrees from the University of Sao Paulo and Guelph. Claudia leads an internationally-renowned research program utilizing the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions to determine the carbon footprint of food, feed, and fuel produced by agriculture. Claudia currently leads several projects focused on evaluating how soil health impacts ecosystem services, including a new $2 million infrastructure using large scale soil weighing lysimeter. She is a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. Prof. Wagner-Riddle has published >120 papers and has an h-index of 34 (Google Scholar).
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Supervisor
- Assistant Professor Natural Resource Science, McGill University
- McGill 's Department of Natural Resource Sciences As an Assistant Professor
Soil biogeochemistry, soil ecology, soil organic matter, plant-soil-microbial interactions
Cynthia Kallenbach joined McGill's Department of Natural Resource Sciences as an Assistant Professor in 2018. Her research integrates soil ecology and biogeochemistry to understand soil organic matter turnover and accumulation and microbial-plant interactions affecting carbon and nutrient cycling under land use and global change. She received her BSc degree (Geography) from Sonoma State University, California. She earned two MSc at University of California-Davis in International Agriculture Development and in Soil Biogeochemistry, and her PhD from the University of New Hampshire in Earth and Environmental Science. Before coming to McGill, she was a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University.
Job Titles:
- Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences
- Professor
- Professor Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Burton's research examines the role of the soil environment in influencing the nature and extent of microbial metabolism in soil. His current research programs involve an examination of the production and consumption of greenhouse gases in natural and agricultural landscapes, sustainable manure management practices, bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil and the assessment of the quality of the soil biological environment and its influence on overall soil quality. It is the aim of this work to better understand the factors that control microbial metabolism and to use this information to developing sustainable land management systems.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor Capacity Development and Extension, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph
Dr. Helen Hambly Odame joined the Capacity Development & Extension program in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph in 2003. Her research focuses on information, knowledge, communication and media for agricultural, environment and rural development. Dr. Hambly works with various technologies and institutions in multi-stakeholder communication processes and community-based media. Her research efforts support innovation among farmers and other stakeholders. Dr. Hambly leads the Regional and Rural Broadband (R2B2) project, which is Canada's largest and oldest project focused on agricultural and rural broadband infrastructure.
Internationally, Dr. Hambly has professional work experience with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), The World Bank, United Nations and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). She is the past Chair of the Independent Steering Committee of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (2012-2018), the largest global research program. Dr. Hambly's international projects included work in Sri Lanka (Mobilizing Knowledge for Sustainable Agriculture with University of Alberta), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Rural Communication; Farmer Field Schools Assessment), a founding member of GENArdis (Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development Information Systems), Vice-President of Farm Radio International and Vice-President and Secretary of Journalists for Human Rights. She is widely recognized for her longstanding training activities in gender analysis for smallholder agriculture with current R&D networks and projects in Peru, Nepal, India and Ghana.
In Canada, Dr. Hambly works on efforts aimed at achieving socio-economic prosperity through high and ultra-high speed broadband infrastructure including Web-based applications for agricultural education and extension involving cloud computing, social media and video. She recently served as the Chair of the Peer Review Committee for the National Research Council of Canada's $20 million High-Throughput Secure Networks (HTSN) Challenge Research Program.
Job Titles:
- Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology of Agro - Ecosystems
- Professor
- Professor Applied Soil Ecology, School of Environmental Sciences, Canada Research Chair, Environmental Microbiology of Agro - Ecosystems
Kari Dunfield is Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology of Agro-ecosystems and one of Canada's premier scientists working at the intersection of microbiology, ecology and soil science. A graduate of the University of Calgary, (BSc Microbiology 1995) and the University of Saskatchewan (MSc Plant Science 1999; PhD Soil Science 2002), she also did postdoctoral research at the University of Maine (2003). Dr. Dunfield's use of cutting edge molecular techniques to investigate challenging issues related to agricultural practices, environmental change and soil biodiversity have propelled her work to the forefront of her field. Her goal is to improve our understanding of soil ecosystem services in order to promote the development of sustainable farming practices that protect the environment while meeting the increasing requirements for food, feed and biofuels. Dr. Dunfield was awarded an Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Early Researcher Award in 2011 and currently serves as a co-Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Microbiology.
Job Titles:
- Professor
- Professor Applied Soil Ecology, Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba
Dr. Mario Tenuta is a full professor in the Department of Soil Sciences and heads the Applied Soil Ecology Lab. His training includes a B.Sc. in Botany and Physical Geography, an M.Sc. in Soil Science, a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences, and Post-Doctoral research in Nematology. From 2006 to 2017 he served as the Canada Research Chair in Applied Soil Ecology. Mario is one of nine leading researchers in the Canadian 4R Research Network (supported by Fertilizer Canada and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) Agri-Innovation Program).
Mario is heavily invested in disseminating the findings of Applied Soil Ecology Lab research projects, and many of his peer-reviewed journal publications are co-authored by his graduate students and technicians. Mario has a special ability to translate discoveries to recommendations and advice for growers, crop consultants, retailers, and industry. He frequently conducts outreach events and participates in grower and industry events, which provides valuable networking opportunities for his graduate students. Many of the Lab's practical research findings are communicated to the public through broadcast and text interviews and often feature graduate students and their work.
Job Titles:
- Student, Dalhousie University / Supervisor
Emily Laage is from Michigan, USA and completed her undergraduate degree at Purdue University in Indiana: earning herself a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Science. Emily's concentration was in sustainability, which led her to a year-long study abroad at Dalhousie where she met her current supervisor and learned about the Masters project she is now undertaking. Emily's MSc research will look at the net life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of Canadian organic field crop production systems. This nation-wide project will use the collaborate efforts of three Canadian Universities to quantify net cradle-to-farm gate life cycle GHG emissions for the six+ major organic field crops and, where sufficient data are available, analyze the influence of agronomic setting, rotation composition, production technologies, and farmer expertise on net GHG intensity. Emily hopes that by conducting this research, key characteristics and best management practices can be identified in organic cropping systems which will enable farmers to preferentially adopt the most innovative technologies/practices in pursuit of low GHG emission farming. After pursuing her MSc, Emily's current plans include continuing her education. In her free time, Emily enjoys exploring all the great places in Nova Scotia.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Evan completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph studying microbiology and his Master's thesis at the University of Toronto studying plant-beneficial microbes. Evan's research interests in agriculture and climate change were sparked through a volunteer trip to the Amazon in 2016 and from working with plants during his Master's, and he hopes to use the knowledge and experience gained from the CREATE-CSS program to make a positive contribution to combat climate change. In his free time, Evan enjoys watching and playing sports (especially hockey!), cooking, exploring nature, and playing board games.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Gordon completed the first two years of his undergrad at Dalhousie University before migrating from the sea to land to complete a B.Sc. in Environmental Science at the University of Guelph. While competing his B.Sc. he worked for 3 years as a field technician in a soil health/agro-meteorology lab. His Master's thesis will focus on the impact that a diverse crop rotation (including cover crops) and soil textures have on the long-term water dynamics of an agricultural system. Using data collected from an ongoing one-of-a-kind lysimeter experiment at the University of Guelph's Elora Research Station he hopes to gain a better understanding to the competitive advantages that diverse cropping systems may provide. By creating precise water and evapotranspiration budget he hopes to determine how the soil water retention curve changes in the first 5 years after adopting a diverse crop management practices. Gordon enjoys tinkering with new sensors and electronics, making bread, and his pets include a dog and 4 jars of mud collected from a mountain top, a river valley and stream bank that are happily sitting in on his window sill.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Research Student, University of Manitoba
Grace was born in Calgary, Alberta and grew up in Manitoba. She is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Agriculture (Agronomy) with a minor in Entomology from the University of Manitoba. She feels passionate about the environment and finding solutions to the climate challenges we are facing globally. This led her to a position working in Dr. Entz's lab, where she has developed a keen interest in sustainable agriculture. This summer Grace is researching the effect of soil health on water resilience within long-term conventional and organic perennial cropping systems. In her spare time she enjoys reading, camping, hiking and practicing Taekwondo.
Job Titles:
- Student, McGill University / Supervisor
Hannah received her BSc in Biology from Grinnell College, Iowa in 2016. Before coming to McGill, Hannah completed a fellowship at Gobabeb research station in Namibia, worked at US Fish and Wildlife Service on invasive species management and completed a post-bac internship at Archbold Biological Station, researching how invasive West Indian Marsh Grass modifies soil nitrogen. She is interested in understanding how land management practices affect soil quality, carbon and nutrient cycling and how these relate to climate change. At McGill, Hannah's research is focused on how flooding impacts carbon and phosphorus dynamics under different land management practices.
Job Titles:
- Department: Toronto
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Heather White grew up in rural southwestern Ontario with family and community active within agriculture, rural development and education. She obtained a degree in Environmental Science at the University of Guelph (2002) with a focus and interest in natural resources management. Early in her career, Heather worked with Ontario farmers, researchers and government examining various agricultural best management practices, particularly around nutrient management. She then spent nearly a decade in community-based organizations in Latin America and Ontario which supported and empowered people impacted by war, social exclusion, or economic hardship. As a Climate Smart Soils Scholar enrolled in the University of Guelph's Capacity Development and Extension program (MSc), Heather's research will examine pathways of engagement and action between and amongst farmers, researchers and the broader public with agricultural climate smart soil practices. Heather hopes her time in the CSS program will foster connections between people and ideas that will help us take individual and collective action to address climate change.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Saskatchewan / Supervisor
Iva Henry was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she completed her B.Sc. in Agriculture majoring in horticulture and minoring in food and bioproduct science at the University of Saskatchewan. Through working as a technician for the U of S Environmental Agronomy and Horticulture research group, she became more interested in agriculture, soil, and sustainability. Iva has begun her first year in a Master of Science where her research focuses on nitrogen use efficiency in wheat. After her studies, she hopes to continue working in agricultural research that contributes to the implementation of more sustainable practices.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Jacob hails from Nigeria where he obtained his first degree in Environmental Management. He then proceeded to Hebrew University, Jerusalem for his M.Sc. degree in Environmental Quality Sciences. Driven by his ambition to advance knowledge, he was awarded a Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. studies at the University of Guelph. Jacob's research will closely resonate around reducing carbon emissions by maximizing the yearly photosynthetic uptake using cover crops. His Ph.D. will identify drivers limiting carbon uptake or enhancing carbon loss, and how they change over the course of a year and between years. He will thereafter make recommendations on how best to manage diverse systems with cover crops to ensure long-term carbon gain. In his spare time, he loves to either play chess, listen to jazz and blues music, play piano and bass guitar or play ping-pong.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Jessica hails from a small dairy farm in Wisconsin. While pursuing her B.S. in Dairy Science and Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, she experienced a wide breadth of agriculture, from dairy nutrition research in Idaho to soybean seed production in the Great Plains, which led to both a realistic and holistic view of production agriculture. Her current research interests focus on soil organic matter quantification and characterization under livestock grazing. Through the CREATE Climate-Smart Soils program, she hopes to advance into a career which progresses the sustainable management of agricultural soils. Outside of the academic world, Jessica enjoys running, cycling, and culturing yeast (bread-making).
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Manitoba / Supervisor
Jose Alejandro Almodovar is a PhD. Student from Dominican Republic who previously did his Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Environmental Management at ISA University, Santiago, Dominican Republic. Jose was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Master of Science degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Washington State University. Prior to this Jose had 5 years of experience in Rural Development and climate smart agricultural practices in the entire Yaque del Norte Watershed in the northern region of Dominican Republic where he assisted farmers together with US agricultural Scientist in a program called Farmer to Farmer as a Field Officer. This intensive field work led Jose to pursue a career in Soil Sciences, since most of the environmental issues he observed in Dominican Republic are related in one way to another to bad agricultural practices, bad soil management and lack soil conservation knowledge.
More recently Jose started his PhD studies at University of Manitoba, where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Soil Sciences. researching the effects of cover crops, and in particular verifying if the termination of an established cover crop results in N2O emissions. His research is conducted at the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment (NCLE) Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Program (AGGP) long-term study site in Southern Manitoba. Jose hopes that after the program ends, he can pursue a career working closely with farmers in Canada, US, and Dominican Republic and to help strengthen bonds between Dominican Republic and Canada.
Jose has interests in Sustainable Development, Soil Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, Project Management, GIS, and politics. He likes to read, gardening, aqua scaping, baseball and playing video games.
Job Titles:
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Guelph
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Manitoba / Supervisor
Kody Oleson is a M.Sc. student at the University of Manitoba. He recently received his BSc diploma with honours in Physical Geography from the University of Winnipeg. Kody's previous research focused on controls of methane (CH 4) emissions from freshwater ponds near Winnipeg, MB. This project sparked his interests in the interactions between industry/agriculture and freshwaters. At the U of M, he will be studying the influence of 4R nitrogen management practices on direct and indirect emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) through leaching and subsequent denitrification of nitrate (NO3-). His research will take place in western Manitoba where soils are light, well-draining, and low in organic matter content. In the future, he hopes to help mitigate anthropogenic threats to freshwater ecosystems. Kody writes spoken word poetry in his spare time.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Manitoba / Supervisor
Laetitia comes from Kenya. She obtained her B.Sc. degree in Agronomy (2018) from EARTH University in Costa Rica. Her passion for sustainable agriculture was cultivated since childhood while growing up on the farm with her smallholder grandparents. Driven by her interest in building resilient agricultural food systems, especially for smallholder farmers, Laetitia's research looks at the long-term consequences of recycled nutrients additions on soil health and crop growth. Her M.Sc. will analyze different manures used by farmers, their effect on soil properties and crop growth, and their potential environmental contamination when used in excess. She will later recommend various blends of manures to increase crop yield and reduce P deficiency, especially on organic farms. In her spare time, Laetitia enjoys watching pet videos, listening to music (African, Spanish, and Pop), doing Zumba, and learning Portuguese on Duolingo.
Job Titles:
- Student, Dalhousie University / Supervisor
Leah grew up in St. Andrews, a small seaside town in New Brunswick. After high school, she moved to Charlottetown to attend the University of Prince Edward Island to obtain her bachelor of science, majoring in molecular biology. In her final year at UPEI, she completed her honours research project using next-generation sequencing to monitor aquatic invertebrates in rivers undergoing eutrophication caused by intensive row-cropping agriculture. Through her undergraduate research, she developed an interest in sustainable agricultural practices, and wanted to use molecular biology to better understand the environmental impacts of crop production. She will begin her masters thesis in the fall of 2022, and will work under Dr. David Burton (Dalhousie University) and Dr. Claudia Goyer (Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada, Fredericton, NB). Her thesis will investigate the effects of integrated crop production systems on soil health, soil microbial diversity, and greenhouse gas emissions. This research will help to understand the benefits and possible trade-offs of applying agro-ecological principles to potato production systems in New Brunswick. When not in the lab or in the field, Leah enjoys cycling, gardening, and trying new restaurants.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Linsey is from Mountain, Ontario and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in Biological Sciences. She plans to use a combination of molecular techniques and field work to look at microorganisms associated with greenhouse gas emissions in soil. Her goal is to help contribute to finding new soil management strategies for the mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions. From this program, Linsey hopes to achieve a new skill set and understanding of climate-smart soils to drive her career forward as a leader in soil science.
Job Titles:
- Department: Manitoba
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Lovelyn Umeh, a Nigerian, is an MSc student of Capacity Development and Extension at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph. She holds a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Extension from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. With over five years of experience as a professional Agricultural Extension Officer. She has effectively managed and educated more than 30 rural and urban farmers on optimal agricultural practices, during which she developed keen interest in harnessing the potential of healthy soils to make a meaningful impact on sustainable agriculture. She desires to use her knowledge and experience to investigate the influence of communication on agricultural growth and soil health practices Through her research, Lovelyn aims to acquire valuable insights that will help communicate and promote the adoption of sustainable soil management techniques among rural farmers.
Job Titles:
- Student, Dalhousie University / Supervisor
Luke grew up in Vermilion, Alberta (one "L" of a town) and instructs at Olds College in the fields of Agriculture and Environment. His formal studies (Diploma, BSc and MSc) focused on environmental sciences, engineering, and agricultural sciences. Luke also has many years of consulting experience relating to soil science, groundwater, remediation and risk mitigation.
Luke's PhD research is aimed at providing practical "hands on" solutions to help predict and communicate soil nitrogen processes to producers as they relate to farming practices, geographic description and climatic processes. His goal is to promote "Climate Smart Soil" practices that will help constrain the nitrogen budget on farms and increase overall nitrogen use efficiency.
Job Titles:
- Department: Dalhousie
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Madeleine grew up in Milton, Ontario where she watched the town go from rural and predominantly farm intensive to an urban bedroom community. This sparked her interest in geography and development. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Geography at the University of Guelph.
Working for the Arrell Food Institute and Feeding 9 Billion for the past year, she had the chance to learn more about the agri-food sector and gain hands-on experience. In her last year, she completed an undergraduate research project where she examined the need for a cross-sectoral coalition to address food insecurity in Nova Scotia. Through these experiences, she developed a deeper passion for agriculture and farmer knowledge.
The main goal of her research will be to enhance Canada's agri-food sector and understanding of climate-smart soils by examining the role of education and knowledge mobilization strategies used by farmers to access and apply soil related information in their practices. After the program, she hopes to work to educate youth and farmers on topics relating to soil and agri-food.
She has visited Nova Scotia 34 times and hopes to one day live on the East Coast. She loves gardening and hopes to educate youth to grow their own food through school food programs.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Research Student, McGill University
In 2017 Maia moved from her home state of Alaska to pursue a degree in food science. As she learned more about the field, she grew increasingly interested in understanding the foundations of the food system, and in the challenges that come with feeding a growing population. She is now in the final year of her Global Food Security degree, with a specialization in ecological agriculture. Her current research is focused on understanding how flood conditions affect soil N dynamics. She hopes to use this experience in an applied manner, working with farmers, community organizations, and/or development agencies to help balance the competing needs of human development and ecosystem services provided by the world's soils. In her free time, she enjoys kombucha brewing, picnicking, and tending to her numerous houseplants.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Research Student, University of Guelph
Marcus Yee was born and raised in Singapore, currently based in Hong Kong where he is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Earth Systems Science and History at the University of Hong Kong. He will be researching on climate-smart soils under Professor Claudia Wagner-Riddle under the MITACS Globalink Research internship. His interest in soils and regenerative agriculture was sparked from his participation in the Soil Regeneration Project, where he assisted in making longitudinal field observations of community gardens in Singapore. Through the internship programme, he hopes to learn more about biogeochemical cycles and soil-plant-atmosphere interactions, sharpen his skills in data processing and analysis, in order to apply these knowledge and skills to better understand questions of food security and sustainability back home. Marcus enjoys visiting and writing about art exhibitions.
Job Titles:
- Supervisor
- Professor
- Professor Cropping Systems and Natural Systems Agriculture, University of Manitoba
Martin Entz is a professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba. He received his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan in 1988 and worked as a farm manager and research agronomist before embarking on his academic career. Martin's research focusses on ecologically-integrated farming systems and empowering farmers with knowledge and other tools required to design sustainable farming systems adapted to where they live. He leads the Glenlea Long-Term Rotation Study - Canada's oldest organic vs conventional farming systems experiment, which has completed 28 years. Together with colleagues, Martin founded the U of M's Natural Systems Agriculture program, which explores cropping systems based on processes found in nature - specifically the natural grassland ecosystem of prairie Canada.
Martin and his team of grad students, research associates and technicians work closely with farmers.
Since 2011, Martin has involved organic farmers directly in the development of crop varieties for organic production in partnership with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada and private grain millers. This "Participatory Plant Breeding" program now involves over 80 wheat, oat and potato farmers from across Canada. Martin works internationally, providing science support to various NGO's including the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's East Africa conservation agriculture program. Closer to home, Martin is part of Sustainable Canada Dialogues, a group of 60 Canadian scholars who propose evidence-based climate solutions and actions.
Martin teaches at the diploma, degree and graduate levels and engages farmers in teaching programs. Outside of research and teaching, Martin enjoys his family and small farm located near Libau, Manitoba.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of the Environmental NMR Center
- Professor Associate Director of the Environmental NMR Center
Myrna has a BSc and PhD from the University of Alberta and is currently a Professor of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Toronto. She is also the Associate Director of the Environmental NMR Centre. Myrna is an expert in the molecular biogeochemistry of natural organic matter in soils, sediments and water. Through her work, she has demonstrated that specific organic matter compounds respond uniquely to changes in climate, inputs and removals, and different management practices.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Growing up on a farm, Navdeep developed a love for the land. She came from Punjab, the Province of India, with agricultural experience. She obtained her master's degree in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, specializing in Soil Science, from Guru Nanak Dev University in September 2019. In her master's research, she assessed different carbon fractions, aggregate-associated carbon, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in different soil aggregate sizes with elevations and under different cropping systems. Later, she moved to Canada, began working as an assistant grower, and obtained hands-on Canadian farming experience. Over the course of her academic career, she developed a sustained interest in soil-based solutions for climate resilience, which paved her path to a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph. Navdeep's doctoral research project will determine the efficiency of manure additives in reducing CH4 emissions from swine manure and digestate. She is carrying out her experimental analysis in Dr. Kari Dunfield's lab and in collaboration with RDC-Ottawa and IRDA-Quebec. Her research will help in the development of management practices for carbon neutrality with a zero-emission concept. Navdeep's goal is to contribute through her research to cost-effective farming, global food security, and mitigating the adversities due to climate change by cutting GHG emissions.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Research Student, University of Guelph
Nikolett was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario. Her passion for climate research was sparked in fourth grade after reading a book about the ongoing environmental crisis; this passion eventually inspired her to pursue a degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, where she became involved with Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle's research into agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. This summer, she is very excited to be conducting a lifecycle analysis of the emissions produced by diversified cropping systems at the Elora Research Station. Nikolett will be entering her final year of her undergraduate degree in the fall, after which she hopes to study computer science and climate modelling. When she isn't in the field or at the lab, Nikolett enjoys learning languages, snowboarding, and watching cheesy Hungarian soap operas.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Olivia Blumenthal was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, where she completed her undergraduate degree in biology at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. She originally gained interest in agriculture from a human rights perspective while working in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers through the Student Farmworker Alliance. After that, her interest broadened to include restorative agroecological practices while working on different agroecology farms in the United States and Latin America. Olivia's M.Sc. project will examine soil microbial communities involved in nitrous oxide emissions in order to better understand how different soil management practices affect the ecosystem services that soils can provide. By deepening her understanding of soil greenhouse emissions, her objective is to contribute to the implementation of best soil management practices and regenerative agriculture throughout the agri-food system. Outside of her research Olivia enjoys writing songs and building community towards a healthier and more just world.
Job Titles:
- Biological Sciences
- Undergraduate Research Student, University of Guelph
Olivia was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario but has called Guelph home for the past few years while completing her undergrad. With one semester left of her degree in Biological Sciences, Olivia is thrilled to be spending the summer with the agrometeorology lab. When she's not outside doing fieldwork, you can find her in the lab building and testing a minirhizotron to image cover crop roots. Olivia became interested in agriculture after watching a documentary called Kiss the Ground which opened her eyes to soil as a solution to climate change and piqued her interest in Dr. Wagner-Riddle's lab. Upon graduating, Olivia would love to spend a couple of years travelling and working abroad in the agricultural industry in Australia or New Zealand. Beyond her passion for environmental science, Olivia is a huge history buff and enjoys reading about fierce women both past and present!
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Saskatchewan / Supervisor
Paige is from a small town near Stayner, Ontario. She obtained her BSc in Agriculture from the University of Guelph, with a major in crop science & minor in international development. Paige's research interests include soil microbial health, innovative agricultural techniques, and sustainable management practices. Paige has always had a strong interest in production farming and food production. Paige's MSc research will evaluate novel biological indicators of soil health in long-term cover cropped fields in Prairie Canada. In the future, Paige hopes to pursue a research career with the Ministry of Agriculture or a job in agricultural communications. Paige loves cows and aspires to own a small herd one day. When she's not studying, Paige enjoys travel, snowboarding, hiking, and spending time with her pets.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Razan Malla is from Nepal, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science and Master's thesis at the Tribhuwan University (TU) studying soil science. He has been working as a Technical Officer at Nepal Agricultural Research Council. His research experiences are in soil-plant nutrient management and beneficial agricultural microbes. Razan's Ph.D. project will examine the soil microbial communities involved in suppression of the Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) of Soybean and potential development of biocontrol agents for management of SDS. With use of cutting-edge molecular techniques, he aims to better understand the processes involved for development of sustainable farming practices. Besides research, Razan enjoys learning music, hiking and watching football.
Job Titles:
- Student, University of Guelph / Supervisor
Rebecca's research focus is understanding the processes that affect freeze-thaw nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions and how different management practices affect emissions. Using micrometerological techniques, including automatic chambers and flux gradient systems, she will assess how conventional and diverse crop rotations affect N 2 O production. With the effects of climate change already upon us, Rebecca is interested in understanding how a warmer world will affect N 2 O fluxes. Using ceramic heaters that raise the surface temperature 3-4 degrees Celsius, she is able to understand how N 2 O emissions will be affected by climate change.