People

Steve Fonte

Dr. Steven Fonte 

Associate Professor 

I am an associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciencesat CSU. My background involves a mix of soils, agriculture, forestry, and ecology. Rooted in these disciplines, my research largely focuses on plant-soil interactions, nutrient cycling, and management impacts on agroecosystem function, biodiversity, and sustainability across a broad array of ecological contexts. This work encompasses diverse efforts, ranging from studies to improve forage production and quality in grassland fallows of the Andean highlands, to exploring the effects of tillage and residue management on key ecosystem functions (e.g., productivity, water and nutrient regulation, C storage) on farms in rural Central America and Colorado. 

Steven Vanek

Dr. Steven Vanek 

Research Scientist II 

Steven Vanek conducts research and NGO training activities from the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. His research focuses broadly on soil fertility in smallholder systems, including the use of improved fallows, phosphorus inputs, and biochar to sustain soil productivity in these systems. He is currently focused on accessible soil health testing, and has also taught about food systems and conducted larger-scale analyses such as comparison of soil ecosystem services in land uses and linkages between aboveground and below-ground biodiversity. He has worked extensively in the Andes and also has experience in eastern and southern Africa.

Siwook Hwang

Siwook Hwang

Ph.D. Student – Ecology

I am a Ph.D. student in the Graduate Degree Program of Ecology. I am interested in crop genotype X rhizosphere interactions as a potential tool to manage agroecosystem soil health. After graduating from Kalamazoo College with a bachelor’s degree, I came to CSU to work at the Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory as a technician. My current project focuses on the rhizosphere characteristics of the perennial grain crops that are being developed at the Land Institute in Salina, KS.

Katherin Meza<br />

Katherin Meza

Ph.D. Student – Ecology

My research focuses on understanding how the integration of multipurpose forage-based fallows can restore soil health and support multiple ecosystem services in the Peruvian Andes. This work recognizes the important role that farmers and local knowledge play in preserving agricultural landscapes and maintaining long-term soil fertility. My work seeks to understand the social and economic drivers that determine the management of multipurpose fallows as well as their implications for soil biological processes and nutrient budgets across a range of environmental and social contexts.

Girma Worde Felke

Girma Worde Feleke

Ph.D. student – Soil and Crop Sciences (co-advised with Jessica Davis)

I graduated from Jimma University with a BSc in Crop Production and Protection and Hawassa University, Ethiopia, with an MSc in soil science. I spent more than 14 years serving as a researcher and lecturer at Mizan-Tepi and Wolkite Universities. My current research focuses on quantifying how legumes, within maize rotations, affect soil health. I am also evaluating soil fertility management strategies on crop production, N-fixation, and multiple soil health parameters. I am curious to know how adding legume residue to the soil affects future N-fixation and rhizosphere microbial communities.

Carolita Landers

Carolita Landers

Research Associate and M.Sc. Student – Soil and Crop Sciences (co-advised with Meagan Schipanski)

I graduated from CSU in 2018 with a B.Sc. in Soil & Crop Sciences and a B.Sc. in Animal Sciences. My research interests include observing and testing different effects of land uses and how they contribute to global changes. In the future I’d like to incorporate more of an interdisciplinary approach to my research to factor in social dynamics and how policy and social practices, biases, and disparities affect sustainable development within agricultural systems. I’m passionate about conserving outdoor spaces, improving systems to mitigate and adapt to climate change, promoting biodiversity, and building more resilient food systems.

Anna Maria Visscher

Anna Maria Visscher

Affiliate Researcher & Postdoc at Wageningen University, Netherlands

I recently finished my PhD in the area of agroecology, studying traditional farming systems responses to global change in agricultural landscapes of the Peruvian Andes. My research focuses on tropical (smallholder) agriculture concerning different types of land-use systems. Specific focus has been on soil health, soil analyses, biodiversity, plant-soil interactions, and agroforestry. I often work using participatory approaches and highly value contact with local workers and farmers.

Past Lab Members and Visiting Researchers

Joyce Mutai

Joyce Mutai

Ph.D. 2024 – Soil and Crop Sciences

Ph.D. Dissertation title: Impacts of cropping system and nutrient management on soil health and soil-borne pathogens in smallholder systems of western Kenya

Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, ETH – Zurich, Switzerland

Tess Noble Strohm

Tess Noble-Strohm

M.Sc. 2024 – Soil and Crop Sciences

Thesis title: Soil health indicators for water limited regions: sensitivity to compost and cropping intensification

Current position: Research Technician, Cornell University

Pascal Ellisalt

Pascal Ellisalt Escobar

2022 Visiting M.Sc. student, Universidad Católica, Chile
Project TitleEffects on agricultural field margins on soil health parameters in fruit orchards of central Chile.
Lisa Eash

Lisa Eash

Ph.D. 2023 – Agroecosystem Management
Ph.D. Dissertation title: Cover crops for ecological management of U.S. agricultural systems: Quantifying ecosystem services across multiple scales.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Yale University
Brynelly Bastidas

Brynelly Bastidas

Visiting Ph.D. Student, 2022, Universidad Católica, Chile
Project Title: Soil biodiversity and soil food webs in Mediterranean agroecosystems of Central Chile.

Bo Collins

Bo (Robert) Collins

Undergraduate Researcher and Intern – Soil and Crop Sciences)
Current Position: Researcher – Soil Health Institute

Nora Flynn

Nora Flynn

Ph.D. 2022 – Agroecosystem Management
Ph.D. Dissertation Title: The impacts of deficit irrigation on crop production and sustainable soil management.
Current Position: Agriculture Water Planning Specialist, Colorado Water Conservation Board

Courtland Kelly

Courtland Kelly

Ph.D. 2021 – Ecology
Ph.D. Dissertation title: Exploring the role of planned and unplanned biodiversity in the soil health of agroecosystems
Current position: Science Lead for Carbon and Ecosystem Services, Corteva Agriscience

Blessing Magonziwa

Blessing Magonziwa

Ph.D. 2021 – Agroecosystem Management
Ph.D. Dissertation title: Understanding the dynamics and management of organic nutrient sources in smallholder farming systems: An interdisciplinary approach
Current position:  Lecturer and Research Scientist, University of Zimbabwe

Peter Olayemi

Peter Olayemi

Ph.D. 2021 – Agroecosystem Management – Co-advised with Matt Wallenstein
Ph.D. Dissertation title: Feeding the soil to feed the planet: Soil health outcomes from novel amendments to residue management
Current position: Data Scientist, Bayer

Katherin Meza

Katherin Meza Retamozo

M.Sc. 2021 – Agroecosystem Management
Thesis title: Identifying Grass-Legume Bicultures to Increase Above and Belowground Biomass Production and Improve Traditional Fallows in Crop Rotations of the Andean Highlands
Current position: Research Scientist, Grupo Yanapai, Peru and PhD student at CSU

Paulina Ramirez Cisterna

Dr. Paulina Ramírez Cisterna

Visiting Ph.D. student; Postdoctoral Researcher 2017, 2020-2021 Universidad Católica, Chile.
Current position: Researcher, Oregon State University

Kaytee Ankrom

Kaytee Ankrom

Ph.D. 2021 – Biology – Co-advised with Diana Wall
Ph.D. Dissertation title: Soil Nematode Community Response to Climate Change and Associated Alterations to Precipitation and Vegetation
Current position: Biologist, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Priscila Foto

Priscila Matos

Visiting Ph.D. Student 2018-2019, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Project title: Linkages among soil properties and litter quality in agroforestry systems of southeastern Brazil

Katie Rocci

Katie Rocci

M.Sc. 2019 – Ecology, Co-advised with Francesca Cotrufo
Thesis title: Soil nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems as modified by biochar amendment and plant processes
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Colorado Boulder

Jinhua Liu

Dr. Jinhua Liu

Visiting Scholar 2018-2019, Jilin Agriculture University, China
Ph.D. Project title: Compost inputs, cropping system, and rotation phase drive aggregate‐associated carbon

Victor Galindo

Victor Galindo

Visiting Ph.D. Student 2018, Universidad del Valle, Colombia
Ph.D. Project title: Land use conversion to agriculture impacts biodiversity, erosion control, and key soil properties in an Andean watershed

Anna Maria Visscher

Anna Maria Visscher

M.Sc. 2018, – (Water Resources Management, Wageningen University, Netherlands
Thesis title: Woody field margins influence the provision of ecosystem services and biodiversity within cropping fields of the Peruvian Andes
Current position: PhD student, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy

John Berlejung

John Berlejung

M.Sc. 2017 – Soil Science
Thesis title: Amendment effects on soil physical properties and restoration of decommissioned forest roads
Current Position: R&D Production Supervisor, New West Genetics, Fort Collins, CO

junaidi

Junaidi

M.Sc. 2017 – Agroecosystem Management
Thesis title: Evaluation of spring wheat genotypes in response to soil health promoting management practices.
Current Position: PhD Student, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia

Daniel Melman

Daniel Melman

International Intern 2016-2017, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Project title: Tillage and residue management effects on soil quality and function in an irrigated cropping system of Eastern Colorado

Anne de Valenca

Anne de Valenca

M.Sc. 2016, Organic Agriculture, Wageningen University, Netherlands
Thesis Title: Land use impact on soil biological fertility in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes

Edwin Garcia

Edwin Garcia

Visiting Scholar 2016, CIAT, Honduras
Project Title: Participatory evaluation of improved pastures and forage legumes for smallholder livestock production in Central America.
Current Position: Researcher, Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza.

Mark Caulfield

Mark Caulfield

Collaborating PhD student at Wageningen University and consultant at the International Livestock Research Institute, 2015-2019, 2022
Project Title: Piecing together complexity: The co-evolution of agroecosystem patterns & natural resource management.