Faculty
Aug. 13, 2024
Kate Nelson
Nelson’s research focuses on issues related to the sustainability of communities and agricultural landscapes (SCALEs). Nelson’s team addresses challenges related to climate change adaptation and social equity, with an emphasis on rural and agricultural systems in the U.S. This work includes studies of: the equity of flood mitigation policy implementation, relationships between landscape structure and resilience of crop production, and rural sustainability assessment. Nelson’s research frequently applies large-scale quantitative spatial analysis to interrogate the bounds of relationships and identify scalar influences but also employs mixed methods approaches to ground and contextualize findings. Educational background Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 2018…
July 31, 2024
Kristin E. Gibson
Kristin Gibson is an Assistant Professor of Conservation and Environmental Education at the University of Missouri in the School of Natural Resources. She holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, she worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Research administered through Fulbright Austria (2018-2019). She also served as an AmeriCorps Member for the North Carolina Coastal Federation (2017-2018) and worked in several seasonal environmental education positions. Educational background Ph.D. Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication, University of Georgia,…
July 31, 2024
Wonjin Jeong
Recent research projects include investigating leisure behavior as resistance in urban greening initiatives, exploring the psychological impacts of neighborhood greenness and park use, and assessing subjective well-being in resident-led vacant lot greening efforts within underserved communities. Educational background Ph.D., Recreation, Sport & Tourism, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign M.S., Sustainability Science, University of Tokyo B.A., Commerce, Waseda University…
July 31, 2024
Qian Liu
Climate factors and extreme weathers require accurate and effective detection, segmentation, and estimation, as well as the in-depth understanding of physical and atmospheric process. The increasing availability of remote sensing images, ground-based observations, and model simulations along with the rapid progress of computing technologies have provided us the unprecedented opportunity to better satisfy the above-mentioned requirements. In my research, beyond the traditional methodology for environmental factors and natural disasters analytics, I pursue high-efficient and automatic approaches by developing a series of AI and spatiotemporal methodologies and frameworks to detect, retrieve, classify and analyze climate factors such as cloud, air pollution,…
July 31, 2024
Seunguk Shin
The dynamics of human-nature relationships and interactions inspire Shin’s research interests. Using social science approaches, he aims to understand what motivates people to participate in pro-environmental behavior, particularly in outdoor recreation and resource management contexts. Shin engages with various natural resource stakeholders including recreationists, landowners, and children to understand how experiential and psychological factors shape their environmental values and behavior. Current research focuses on how human appreciation of nature’s benefits influences the formative process of environmental values. Educational background Ph.D. Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2023…
July 31, 2024
Joseph H. Lynch
Dr. Lynch grew up in rural Washington State and received his BS in Biology from Gonzaga University. He then earned his PhD from Washington State University in the Molecular Plant Sciences program, with his graduate research in the lab of Dr. Sanja Roje focusing on the metabolism of flavin cofactors. After completion of his degree, he took a postdoctoral position in Dr. Natalia Dudareva’s lab at Purdue University studying the production and release of phenylpropanoid/benzenoid volatiles in plants. During his postdoc, he helped elucidate a cytosolic pathway for synthesis of the amino acid phenylalanine in plants that operates in parallel…
July 31, 2024
Emily Althoff
Althoff holds a split appointment between MU and Lincoln University. Here, she hopes to research local concerns in pest management and conservation working with local, state, and federal partners. Results from her research are incorporated into her extension programming. Requesting Insect Identification from the Althoff Lab: Photos: Submit clear, well-lit photos of the insect (top, bottom, head, abdomen, legs) and any damage it caused. Include its location. Briefly describe where you found the insect and any issues it’s causing. Email: Send everything to emilyalthoff@missouri.edu. We look forward to working with you to solve Missouri insect mysteries! Educational background Ph.D.
July 19, 2024
Shayne White
Educational background Ph.D. Agricultural Communication and Education, Texas Tech University, 2024…
July 19, 2024
Cecilia Rocha
Cecilia has extensive experience in the field of reproductive physiology of beef cows. She develops applied and basic research aiming to increase reproductive efficiency in beef operations. Around 40 to 60% of cows lose a pregnancy in the first 30 days of gestation. Cecilia studies the main events that happen in this moment which could be manipulated to reduce pregnancy loss, such as, interferon-tau signaling, immune response of the uterus, and embryo-maternal crosstalk in uterine tissues. Educational background Ph.D. in reproductive physiology, University of Florida Master’s degree, University of Sao Paulo DVM, Federal University of Santa Catarina…
July 16, 2024
Lijing Gao
Gao was trained as an agricultural science communication specialist and an environmental sociologist, focusing on the interconnectedness of agricultural systems with socio-economic, political, and ethical decisions. Her current research focuses on understanding perceptions of livestock biotechnology, particularly genome editing. Gao employs a mixed-method approach. Educational background Ph.D. in Sociology and Sustainable Agriculture, Minor in Statistics, Iowa State University (ISU) 2022 Courses taught Sociology of Natural Resources Transition in Agriculture Introduction to Sociology…