Faculty
Jan. 6, 2026
Meikah Dado
Meikah Dado, Ph.D., is motivated by her belief that all individuals should have equitable access to food and education. Drawing on a multidisciplinary background in dairy science, international agricultural development, and agricultural leadership, Dado’s professional expertise encompasses monitoring and evaluation, grant writing and management, and a broad range of research initiatives. Her teaching centers on cultivating leadership capacity within the agricultural sector, with an emphasis on developing future leaders equipped with strong critical thinking and problem solving skills. Educational Background…
Dec. 18, 2025
Marcelo Barbosa
Marcelo Barbosa’s faculty appointment includes research (60%) and Extension (40%). His program focuses on integrating cutting-edge technologies to advance and support modern agricultural production systems. His work centers on the use of remote sensing, unmanned aerial systems (UAS/drones), robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence to enhance data collection and improve the speed, sustainability, and precision of on-farm decision-making. More specifically, his research includes the development of predictive and forecasting models for crop yield, quality, and plant health; autonomous and semi-autonomous crop management solutions; and decision-support systems that translate complex data into actionable recommendations for growers. He is particularly interested in…
Aug. 25, 2025
Erik Amézquita
I am an Assistant Professor for Data Science at the Division of Plant Science & Technology with an adjunct appointment in Math. I am mainly interested in understanding and modeling plant morphology using topological data analysis (TDA). I am also interested in morphometrics, developmental plant biology, basic image processing, directional statistics, and data science for social justice. I go by he/él pronouns. I got my Ph.D. from the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) at Michigan State University. I worked under the guidance of Dan Chitwood and Liz Munch. Before that, I got my math degree…
Aug. 18, 2025
Veridiana Daley
Daley’s research program focuses on nutrition and metabolism in dairy cattle, with a strong emphasis on nutrient supply and requirements. Her current work investigates the supply and metabolism of individual amino acids and fatty acids in dairy cows aiming to manipulate milk components (fat and protein). She also conducts modeling studies using advanced programming techniques to integrate nutrition, animal health, and stress physiology into a system-level framework. During her doctoral studies, Daley developed a ration formulation software in Brazil (RLM Leite) designed to support precision feeding strategies. She completed her postdoctoral training through the National Animal Nutrition…
Aug. 18, 2025
Shokhrukh (Shok) Jalilov
Shokhrukh specializes in agricultural and environmental economics, water economics and policy, integrated water resource systems, and the water–food–energy nexus, with a focus on the complex interactions between biophysical and economic systems. His research employs theoretical, empirical, and numerical approaches and involves close collaboration with experts from diverse fields, including engineering, hydrology, soil science, and plant science. Before joining the University of Missouri, he worked at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia’s national science agency), the Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability at the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan, and Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland.
Aug. 6, 2025
Christine C. Brodsky
Christine Brodsky is an Assistant Professor of Urban Ecology at the University of Missouri in the School of Natural Resources. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, M.S. from the University of Delaware, and B.S. from the University of Massachusetts. Her dissertation research was conducted within the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program. After completing her Ph.D., she worked as a faculty member within Pittsburg State University’s Biology Department. She is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Urban Biodiversity and Design (URBIO) international network. Brodsky also has…
July 17, 2025
Rick Relyea
Educational background Courses taught…
June 23, 2025
Erin Sparks
Sparks holds a joint appointment with the University of Missouri and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. She is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex challenges. Her background training includes a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology and postdoctoral work in Plant Molecular Biology. Educational background…
May 27, 2025
Alex Mangialardi
Educational background…
March 30, 2025
Xiaoping Xin
Dr. Xin’s research focuses on soil biogeochemistry processes, climate-resilient soil management, soil remediation, soil-plant interactions, crop production, precision agriculture, nanotechnology-enabled agriculture, and environmental risk assessment. She is committed to bridging the gap between academic research and practical agricultural applications, aiming to lead innovative studies in soil fertility and plant nutrition that enhance agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability in Missouri and beyond. Educational background Courses taught…