Ecosystems & Environment
Aug. 30, 2023
Zachary Leasor
Zack is an assistant professor in climate science within the School of Natural Resources. He also works as State Climatologist and director of the Missouri Climate Center. He serves on panels dealing with adverse weather conditions such as drought and flooding. He also works with the National Weather Service offices and regional climate services to provide climate data and prepare special summaries of significant weather and climate events. Originally from Louisville, Ky., Zack spent the last several years living in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Missouri during the summer of 2023. Zack received a bachelor’s degree in meteorology, with a minor…
Feb. 6, 2023
Kelly Wilson
Educational background Ph.D. Agricultural Communications, Education, and Leadership, 2019 Courses taught Advanced practices in sustainability and regenerative agriculture…
Nov. 3, 2022
Adrienne Ohler
Educational background Ph.D. Economics, Washington State University, 2009 Courses taught ABM 4360: Energy Markets and Regulation…
Aug. 2, 2022
Allison A. Pease
Pease is an aquatic ecologist who studies how flow alteration, climate change, and other habitat impacts affect river fish populations and communities. Her work is international in scope, with collaborative research in Mexico, Paraguay, and the Republic of Congo. She and her students also carry out local work in the U.S. with clear implications for better understanding and predicting effects of environmental change on fish populations and aquatic food webs. Educational background Ph.D., Texas A&M University Courses taught F_W 2700: Ichthyology F_W 4300: Fisheries Management F_W 4400: Techniques for Fisheries Management and Conservation…
Feb. 21, 2022
Sam Lord
Educational background Ph.D. (in progress), University of Missouri, Natural Resources – Emphasis in Soil B.S. 2016, University of Missouri, Soil, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences – Emphasis in Soil Courses taught Soil 2100 Lecture: Introduction to Soil Science Soil 2106 Laboratory: Introductory Soil Science Lab NATR 1070: Ecology and Conservation of Renewable Resources…
Sep. 17, 2021
Michael Sunde
Sunde’s research focuses on using quantitative modeling, geospatial and remote sensing approaches to evaluate the impacts of stressors such as urbanization, deforestation and climatic pressures on the environment and to map ecosystems at large scales, with an emphasis on watershed hydrology. His work uses an array of geographic, climatic and remotely sensed data, along with machine learning and physically based models to produce information that can be of utility to planners and decision makers. Educational background Ph.D. Natural Resources, University of Missouri…
Aug. 27, 2021
Jacob Westhoff
The research conducted by Jacob Westhoff primarily focuses on the applied needs of state and federal cooperators as part of the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. These needs often include study of life history, distribution, habitat use, environmental tolerances, and general ecology of aquatic organisms. Educational background Ph.D., Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Missouri M.S., Biology, Tennessee Technological University…
April 5, 2021
Heike Buecking
Plants are metaorganisms that engage in intimate associations with a wide diversity of microorganisms. Many of these microorganisms are beneficial and help plants to overcome a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses. In our research, we focus particularly on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and nitrogen fixing rhizobia bacteria. AM fungi played a significant role during land plant evolution and form close interactions with the roots of 70% of land plants, including many agronomically important species, such as corn, soybean, or wheat. AM fungi increase the nutrient acquisition of for example phosphate, nitrogen, sulfur, and potassium from the soil, and improve…
Jan. 21, 2021
Keri L. Jacobs
Dr. Keri L. Jacobs is associate professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri and holds the Partridge Chair in Cooperative Leadership. In 2021, she was named Executive Director of the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL). In her outreach role, Jacobs partners with cooperatives and their associations to create and deliver director and talent development programs in cooperative governance and finance, and to engage with cooperative boards and leadership in strategic planning. Through collaboration with industry and key stakeholders, she pursues research that seeks to inform and elevate producers’ opportunities through collective action within their supply…
June 5, 2020
Morgan P. Davis
Davis’ research is centered around soil biogeochemistry in the context of ecological sustainability. The objective of his research is investigating nutrient and energy cycles in both managed and natural ecosystems. This work provides insights for improving sustainability and contributes to foundational biogeochemistry knowledge. He is particularly interested in nitrogen and carbon transformations in forested and agronomic ecosystems. Specific research interests include the following: soil greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, soil organic matter, cover crops, tillage management, nitrate leaching, microbial communities, denitrification, indirect nitrous oxide emissions, and riparian buffers. Educational background Ph.D., Iowa State University, 2018 M.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,…