Alex Cleveringa
Dept: Agronomy– Crop Production & Physiology Projected Grad: 2025 Advisor: Fernando Miguez
Research Interest:
I am interested in developing tools that provide readily accessible statistical analyses of data generated from on-farm trials across the Midwest. I am also creating an ontology to make the dataset I’m working with findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable by others.
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Kyle DeLong
Dept: Agronomy – Agricultural Meteorology Projected Grad: 2025 Advisor: Brian Hornbuckle
Research Interest:
I am highly interested in environmental security, specifically related to the sustainability of agriculture for the use of food, feed for livestock, fiber, and fossil-fuel alternatives. My current research is to validate soil moisture estimators (i.e., microwave satellites and numerical models) in the Corn Belt. My motivation is to put these soil moisture estimators into context to management decisions made by farmers with the hope of improving agricultural efficiency.
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Motahareh Kashanian
Dept: Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Projected Grad: 2026 Advisor: Sarah M Ryan
Research Interest:
I am interested in mathematical programming and uncertainties in sustainable energy systems. As an industrial engineer, I want to continue my way to be able to fill the gaps between Artificial Intelligence, Operations Research, Theories, and Real-World Applications.
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Holly Loper
Dept: EEOB- Microbiology Projected Grad: 2023 Advisor: Steven Hall
Research Interest:
Broadly my research interests lie in improving the ways we study and monitor microbial processes in the environment to help better minimize our detrimental impacts of agriculture on nature. Currently, I am testing the efficacy and sustainability of a novel method of microbial nitrogen fertilization for corn. To do so I am utilizing a new field study design consisting of massive intact soil cores enclosed on the sides and bottom with a single pipe to collect individual drainage from each soil monolith. With these enclosed soil blocks I am hoping to improve quantification of nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions in the field. With such improvements, I am analyzing how incremental differences in fertilizer rate application, soil type, and the use of microbial nitrogen fixation in maize can affect nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions.
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Gabrielle Myers
Dept: Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering Projected Grad: 2023 Advisor: Raj Raman & Daniel Andersen
Research Interest:
I am using technoeconomic modeling and life cycle analysis approaches on three interrelated food, bioenergy, and cropping systems. My research topics have included an anticipatory technoeconomic analysis of cell-cultured meat production and a technoeconomic analysis on the viability of shared anaerobic digestion systems for swine production. I am currently engaged in field-work examining the impacts of perennial groundcover systems on water quality from maize-production sites.
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Jarrett Morrison
Dept: Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Projected Grad: 2023 Advisor: Lu Liu
Research Interest:
My research focus is on resilience in the water resources sector. I am currently building models to see how implementing new technologies can enhance the resilience of wastewater treatment facilities during increased wet weather events. The research stems from increasing frequency and intensity of wet weather events due to climate change.
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Kelly Nascimento Thompson
Dept: Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Projected Grad: 2024 Advisor: Dr. Richard Cruse & Dr. Brian K. Gelder
Research Interest:
My research focuses on GIS and Remote Sensing applied to Soil and Water conservation integrating the Daily Erosion Project with STRIPS project for erosion modeling purposes. Our end goal is to ground-truth the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model by comparing erosion simulation results to the data collected at the STRIPS h-flumes. Investigating residue cover (cover crops, bare soil, and cash crops) through the application of Remote Sensing techniques and Google Earth Engine is another interest of mine.
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