I am a first generation college student who grew up liking science and the outdoors. My first job was washing dishes in a plant pathology lab for Oregon State University Extension when I was fifteen. Eventually I was hired as a student intern in a soil microbiology lab within the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. That job helped support my undergraduate college career. I earned a BA in English with the intention of becoming a nature writer, but I also loved research and teaching. My career at UMD has allowed me to do all three. In my spare time I spend time with my dogs, my horse, my vegetable garden, and my family.
I study the microbial ecology of soils across many different ecosystems: agricultural, wetland, forest, and urban. I seek to understand how disturbances such as wetland restoration and agricultural management impact microbial communities and what implications those changes have to nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon storage. The broad goal of my research is to uncover information that can improve soil management and lead to a more sustainable future.
ENST 422 Soil Microbial Ecology (Spring)
ENST 432 Environmental Microbiology (Fall)
ENST 622 Advanced Soil Microbial Ecology (Spring)
HNUH 248B Setting the Table: The Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture (Fall 2023/Spring 2024)
Post docs
Wessam Elnenr
Chih-Han Chang
Ryan Kepler
Taniya Roy Chowdhury
Mojhgan Haghnegahdar
Graduate Students
Master's
Glade Dlott
Holly Bowen
Dietrich Epp Schmidt
Eni Baballari
Lindsay Wood
Alyssa Wellman Houde
Doctorate
Christine (Prasse) Maietta
Martina Gonzalez Mateu
Amr Keshta
Brian Scott
Humberto Castillo Gonzalez
Dietrich Epp Schmidt
Nora Hamovit
Undergraduates
Gaelle Njonkou
Matthew Klein
Stephanie Jamis
Sara Elbeheiry
Martina Gonzalez Mateu
Nicholas Butler La-Pointe
Tamara Walsky
Eni Baballari
Zachery Bernstein
Ashley Robey
Zachary Berry
Joshua Gaimaro
Lindsay Wood
Victoria Monsaint-Queeney
Matthew Silverman
Jessica King
Donald De Alwis
Henry Wald
Jonathan Moy
Gianna Robey
Christopher Celarie
High School Interns
Ashley Robey
Amy Kuritzky
Sara Baldwin
Gianna Robey
Oregon State University Soil Science Ph.D. 2007
Whitman College English B.A. 2001
Blue Mountain Community College Biology A.S. 1998
2008 Emil Truog Award, Soil Science Society of America
2013 Excellence in Instruction AGNR Alumni Award
2016 Excellence in Teaching—ENST department
2016 Excellence in Mentoring—ENST department
2019 College of AGNR Paul R. Poffenberger Excellence in Teaching and Advising Award
2020 UMD Gemstone Sophomore Mentor of the Year
2023 Excellence in Teaching—ENST department