Agriculture experts: CSU researchers able to discuss issues surrounding modern ag, soil carbon storage, food systems and more
Continuing to feed the world’s growing population will be one of society’s biggest challenges, and Colorado State University scientists are paving the way in engineering innovative solutions in the field of modern agriculture.
From regenerative agriculture to agrivoltaics to nitrogen cycling to food justice, CSU experts can offer a variety of perspectives on a wide range of issues.
A list of experts and story ideas is below. To schedule interviews, please contact news@colostate.edu.
Agriculture experts at Colorado State University
Retta Bruegger, CSU Extension regional specialist in range management for Western Colorado and a founding member of Drought Advisors
Bruegger can discuss Colorado’s Drought Plan Program and the Range School in Western Colorado.
Adrian Card, CSU Extension statewide crop expert
Card’s Extension work focuses on cropping systems, food systems, specialty crop production, economic development and more. He helped organize a demonstration of autonomous weeding technologies in Rocky Ford, a first-of-its-kind event for Colorado.
Carrie Chenault, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography
Chennault’s research engages feminist, queer and Black geographies to study food, agricultural and environmental justice in the U.S. Her current projects include a mixed-methods action research project in Dubuque, Iowa, examining the intersecting political ecologies of food, land and housing in the city. She is also co-director of the Prison Agriculture Lab.
Richard Conant, head of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
Conant, who leads carbon management training programs at CSU, studies how land use management practices impact carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural and grassland ecosystems.
Josh Craver, assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Craver’s work focuses on hydroponic production and LED lighting systems, and there are photo and video opportunities available surrounding his work on the CSU Spur campus in Denver.
James Hale, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Sociology
Hale specializes in studying the socio-cultural, community, and governance dimensions of food, agriculture, and environmental improvement efforts.
Rebecca Hill, co-director of AgrAbility and CSU Extension professor with joint appointments in the Regional Economic Development Institute and Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Hill helps lead AgrAbility, a partnership between CSU Extension and Goodwill Industries of Colorado to provide information, education and services to farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers and their families who have disabilities, illnesses or other behavioral health challenges. The organization promotes independence in agriculture by helping workers find the help they need to begin, remain or regain employment on their farm or ranch.
Alan Knapp, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology
Knapp can share his insights on agrivoltaics and the growing field of ecovoltaics, which co-prioritizes energy production and ecosystem services during the design and management phases of solar development.
Jennifer Martin, meat specialist and assistant professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences
Martin can discuss the FDA and USDA approval for lab-grown meat and the potential implications this has for the Colorado meat industry.
John McKay, professor in the Department of Agricultural Biology
McKay’s research involves high-volume phenotyping of crop roots in the field to identify genes and breeding targets for drought adaptation and carbon sequestration.
Nathan Mueller, assistant professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Mueller studies food systems, agricultural sustainability and climate change impacts and adaptations.
Reza Nazemi, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Nazemi’s research aims to build a field-side modular and electrified reactor to capture fertilizers from runoff that can be reused, promoting a circular economy and limiting chemicals from getting into water sources.
Rebecca Niemiec, director of the Animal-Human Policy Center and assistant professor in the Department of Human Dimensions in Natural Resources
Collects and synthesizes data and works with diverse stakeholders, including ranchers and farmers, scientists and policy makers to promote positive interactions between people and animals.
Stephen Ogle, senior research scientist in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and a professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
Ogle is one of the architects in a CSU-led national greenhouse gas inventory of ag emissions, which informs policy and is instrumental for climate mitigation and negotiations.
Keith Paustian, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a senior research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
Paustian is an expert in soil carbon measurement and sequestration, and currently leads CSU’s part in an NSF and NIFA-funded AI institute to optimize land use of farms and forests through climate-smart practices.
Graham Peers, professor in the Department of Biology
Peers’ lab explores ways to improve photosynthesis abilities in plants, something that could have a big impact on modern agriculture.
Joshua Sbicca, associate professor in the Department of Sociology
Sbicca is the director of the Prison Agriculture Lab, and can speak to topics related to food justice, food movements, urban food politics, food labor, food and identity and agriculture in the American criminal justice system.
Andy Seidl, professor in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics
Seidl was recently recognized by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust for his ground-breaking research on the economic benefits of private land conservation. Seidl’s research played a vital role in expanding Colorado’s transferable conservation easement tax credit program and supporting increased funding to the 2018 Farm Bill’s conservation easement programs.
Mahmoud Shakouri, assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management
Shakouri is investigating using ash made from raw corn stover—the term for the leaves, stalks, and cobs of corn plants—to replace some of the ingredients typically used to make concrete and building components.
Mark Uchanski, associate professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Uchanski’s research focuses on agrivoltaics, or the integration of photovoltaics into horticultural and agricultural spaces.
Emily Wilson, instructor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography
Wilson is teaching a new class where she uses experimental archaeology to reproduce recipes from the Roman world and examine the various flavor palates, nutritional profiles, and effort that goes into feeding the various mouths of the ancient world. The class is online and includes baking segments, and she has students try their hand at baking using old recipes for bread and other foods.