Jeff Wood received the 2023 CAFNR Early Investigator Research Award at the Celebration of Excellence ceremony April 11. 

Wood is assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources and an ecosystem scientist who studies carbon, nitrogen, water, and other mass and energy exchanges between the biosphere and the atmosphere in relation to global climate change. He manages Baskett Forest’s 106-foot-tall, instrumented tower “MOFLUX,” which measures the carbon and water balance of Missouri’s oak-hickory forests and is part of the Ameriflux network of over 110 field sites throughout the Americas.  

Wood has published 43 papers in top scientific journals and has nearly 2,200 citations on Google Scholar. He has secured over $5.7 million in grants and is the PI of a current Department of Energy grant for nearly $1.2 million.  

Wood is also an active member of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) and has contributed to enhancing MU’s research enterprise. 

“Jeff is an exceptional early-career researcher who is making significant contributions to his field by his high-profile and impactful publications, his highly successful grant portfolio, and his contributions to enhance MU’s research enterprise, nationally and internationally,” said Robert Sharp, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and past IPG director. 

“I first met Jeff during his hiring process several years ago,” said Patrick Market, director of the School of Natural Resources. “I was impressed with his credentials then, and my appreciation has only deepened as his potential as a scientist has continued to unfold. Dr. Wood is a highly regarded young scientist with novel ideas, strong grantsmanship, scientific prowess, and the ability to collaborate broadly.”