Faculty & Staff

The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences staff consists of faculty members (including joint appointments), academic specialists, post-docs, and administrative and support personnel. Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in both the basic and applied plant and soil sciences and work as partners with agricultural industries to serve agriculture and the citizens of Michigan.

Faculty

• Stephen Boyd - University Distinguished Professor
  532 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1252
  Environmental fate of pollutants; sorption and degradation of organic contaminants and pesticides in soils and sediments. Remediation of contaminated soils and sediments. Remediation of contaminated soils and sediments.
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• Karen Cichy - Adjunct USDA Assistant Professor
  494G Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1210
  Dry bean breeding and genetics with an emphasis on seed quality, including human nutritional quality, processing quality and consumer acceptance.
  
• Julie Cotton - Specialist
  274 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1234
  Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
  
• James Crum - Professor
  160C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1134
  Turfgrass management with emphasis on the modification of soil properties to improve uses for golf turf and athletic fields. Undergraduate academic advisor.
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• Jonathan Dahl - Specialist
  84 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1126
  Soil Testing Laboratory Manager and extension activities related to soil testing.
  
• Frank Dazzo - Professor
  2209 Biomedical Phys Sci, (517) 355-6463 Ext. 1587
  Microbial ecology, beneficial bacteria-plant associations of agricultural importance (especially those involving Rhizobium), development of CMEIAS image analysis software designed to strengthen microscopy-based approaches for understanding microbial ecology.
  
• David Douches - Professor
  486 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1194
  Potato breeding and genetics: cytogenetics, polyploid genetics, breeding for disease and insect resistance and potato quality, molecular markers, application of transformation to potato breeding, gene mapping.
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• Eunice Foster - Professor
  160B Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1135
  Crop physiology; nitrogen partitioning and remobilization; physiological mechanisms of drought resistance in legumes.
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• Kevin Frank - Associate Professor
  584E Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1147
  Turfgrass physiology and management with emphasis on soil and plant nutrient relationships, water flux in putting greens, nutrient fate, irrigation programs.
  
• Russell Freed - Professor and Associate Chair
  384C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1187
  Agronomy/research management in international development. Oat and barley genetics/breeding for disease and insect resistance, grain quality, lodging, and yield. Microcomputers in Ag research.
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• David Gilstrap - Senior Specialist
  384D Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1140
  Coordinator for the 2-year Sports and Commercial Turf Management program.
  Sports and Commercial Turf Management Program
• Anthony Guber - Assistant Professor
  584D Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1269
  
  
• Michael Hamm - Mott Distinguished Professor
  312B Natural Resources, (517) 432-1611 C.S. Mott Chair of Sustainable Agriculture. Community-based food systems. Community food security. Farmer/consumer connections in the middle.
  
• Linda Hanson - Adjunct Assistant Professor
  494E Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1208
  
• Richard Harwood - Adjunct Professor
  Port Orchard, WA, (360) 871-4292
  
• Lee Jacobs - Professor Emeritus
  522 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1246
  Soil chemistry/fertility; specialist in the application of organic residuals (e.g., animal manure, municipal biosolids, etc.) and inorganic residues to agricultural soils; fate of inorganic elements and chemicals in soils; and other environmental soil problems.
  
• Taylor Johnston - Professor
  260A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1164
  Crop production, crop ecology, agronomic pedagogy. Undergraduate academic advisor.
  
• James Kells - Chair/Professor
  286 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1103
  Weed science; extension specialist in weed control-corn, small grains, and forages. Integrated and integrated pest management; biology of perennial weeds.
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• James Kelly - Professor
  370 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1181
  Dry bean breeding and genetics with emphasis on use of molecular markers to assist for yield, architecture, processing quality, drought tolerance and disease resistance. International agriculture.
  Bean Breeding and Genetics Laboratory BeanCAP Bean Improvement Cooperative
• Dave Krauss - Senior Specialist
  152B Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1110
  Systems Administrator for the Departmental computer networks; Undergraduate Coordinator; Manager of the Crop and Soil Sciences Learning Resource Center.
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• Sasha Kravchenko - Associate Professor
  376 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1241
  Spatial variability in agroecosystems as a function of landscape, topography, and soil properties. Studied my means of statistics, geostatistics and fractal/multifractal methods.
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• Richard Lenski - Hannah Professor
  6177 Biomedical Phys Sci, (517) 884-5397 Microbial ecology, genetics and evolution; evolution of pathogen virulence; experiments with ‘digital’ organisms.
  
• Hui Li - Assistant Professor
  584C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1146
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• Chris Long - Potato Extension Specialist
  412 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1193
  Applying potato related research to real world agriculture.
  
• Mitch McGrath - Adjunct USDA Professor
  494F Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1207
  Sugarbeet breeding and genetics; molecular genetics of sugarbeet and its use in germplasm enhancement. Mechanisms of seedling vigor and improved stand establishment.
  
• Doo-Hong Min - Extension Specialist
  Chatham Experiment Station, (906) 439-5114 Manure nutrient management in forage production, Carbon sequestration in forage-based dairy systems, and Legume-grass ecology for pasture.
  
• Yusong Mu - Specialist
  266 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1161
  Coordinator for the American-Sino Turfgrass Education Program.
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• A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi - Assistant Professor
  225 Farrall Hall, (517) 432-7653 Study sustainable decision-making using watershed/water quality models. Current projects include environmental impact assessment of large-scale bioenergy crop production on human and aquatic ecosystem health, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of water quality mitigation approaches to address climate change, the functional assessment of wetlands, as well as fuzzy logic applications in water resources engineering.
  
• Thomas Nikolai - Specialist
  154B Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1133
  Associate Coordinator of the 2-year Golf Turfgrass Management program.
  
• Donald Penner - Professor
  470 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1227
  Weed science and crop physiology; herbicide selectivity, action, and metabolism in crops and weeds. Fate of herbicides in soils; environmental toxicology.
  
• John Quensen - Assistant Professor
  528 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1250
  
• Gemma Reguera - Assistant Professor
  6190 Biomedical Phys Sci, (517) 884-5401 Microbial Physiology/Genetics: Electron transfer and biofilm physiology; biotechnological applications, architecture and physiology; bacterial cell-to-cell communication, nanowires.
  
• Karen Renner - Professor
  482 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1233
  Weed science; extension specialist in weed control-soybeans, dry edible beans, sugar beets, and potatoes. Herbicide persistence in soils; weed ecology. Undergraduate academic advisor.
  
• G. Philip Robertson - Professor
  Kellogg Biological Station, (269) 671-2267 Ecosystem ecology; bio-geochemistry and energetics of agricultural systems, plant nutrient availability, soil nitrogen dynamics.
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• Trey Rogers - Professor
  160A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1136
  Turfgrass management with emphasis on sports turf construction, establishment, and management; putting green management strategies. Coordinator of the 2-year Turfgrass Management Golf Course program.
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• Joan Rose - Nowlin Chair Professor
  15 Natural Resources, (517) 432-4412 International expert in microbiological water quality and public health safety. Dr. Rose has authored more than 160 manuscripts and is particularly involved in new molecular methods for waterborne pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and enteric viruses.
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• Alvin Smucker - Professor
  530 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1251
  Soil biophysics; soil water and ion fluxes within aggregates and macropore flow, soil water quality, soil carbon sequestration, soil physical and plant root relationships.
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• Sieglinde Snapp - Professor
  576A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 282-5644 Kellogg Biological Station. Soils and cropping systems ecology. Long-term experimentation and participatory approaches for sustainable farming. Agro-diversification, organic and conservation systems for efficient resource use and nutrient management in temperate North Central USA and tropical Africa.
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• Christy Sprague - Associate Professor
  466 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1224
  Weed management strategies in soybean, sugar beets, and dry beans. Understanding weed crop interactions and determine ways to manipulate these interactions to improve overall weed management systems.
  
• Kurt Steinke - Assistant Professor
  580 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1271
  Soil fertility and nutrient management strategies across agricultural production systems. Understanding nutrient interactions and effects on soil and plant communities to improve both water and nutrient management recommendations that sustain soil quality and improve plant ecosystems.
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• Mariam Sticklen - Professor
  362 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1177
  Expediting biofuels (ethanol and butanol) agenda via crop genetic engineering. Development of high-value biobased matter (industrial enzymes, polymers and bio-pharmaceuticals) in crops via genetic engineering.Cell and molecular genetics of beans, grasses and cereal crops for development of drought, salt, pest and disease resistance.
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• Brian Teppen - Associate Professor
  538 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1254
  Environmental soil chemistry, molecular simulation, atomic-scale mechanisms, thermodynamics, kinetics of sorption reactions at mineral surfaces.
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• Kurt Thelen - Associate Professor
  480 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1232
  Cropping Systems Agronomist; Extension Specialist in corn and soybean production systems, corn hybrid variety testing program.
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• Michael Thomashow - University Distinguished Professor
  306 Plant Biology Lab, (517) 355-2299 Molecular genetics of plant freezing and drought tolerance; regulation of gene expression in response to environmental stress; plant biotechnology.
  
• James Tiedje - University Distinguished Professor/CME Director
  540C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1287
  Molecular microbial ecology, especially community structure, HTP rRNA analysis, genomics and metagenomics, esp of soil, rhizosphere and biodegradation.
  
• Dechun Wang - Associate Professor
  384E Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1188
  Soybean genetics/genomics; to improve plant performance, host plant resistance and seed chemical composition contributing to increased value of the Michigan soybean crop.
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• Wei Zhang - Assistant Professor
  516 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1244
  
  

Staff

• Hussien Alameldin - Visiting Research Associate
  358 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1174
• Halima Awale - Visiting Scholar
  384A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1186
• Brian Baer - Programmer Analyst
  6176 Biomedical Phys Sci, (517) 884-5396
• Norman Blakely - Research Technician I
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• Tim Boring - Research Assistant I
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• John Boyse - Research Assistant II
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• Cal Bricker - Research Assistant II
  282 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1107
• Stephen Brooks - Research Instrument Equipment Technician I
  47 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1313
• Jeffrey Bryan - Research Assistant I
  578 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1268
• Susan Canty - Consortium Coordinator
  380 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1183
• Gina Centeno - Accounting Clerk II
  286 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1105
• Andrew Chomas - Research Assistant II
  478 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1230
• Tamara Cole - Research Associate
  90 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1281
• Mark Collins - Farm Manager I
  246 Spartan Way, (517) 353-3117
• Joe Coombs - Research Assistant II/S
  412 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1193
• Yunjie (Jason) Ding - Research Associate
  562 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1258
• Andrea Fernandez - Visiting Research Associate
  498C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1210
• Thomas Galecka - Research Assistant I
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• Tom Goodwill - USDA Technician
  594C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1206
• Brian Graff - Farm Manager II
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• Aaron Hathaway - Research Assistant II
  578 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1268
• Paul Horny - Farm Manager II/S
  Bean and Beet Farm, (989) 652-8014
• Rita House - Secretary III
  159 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1324
• Therese Iadipaolo - Secretary II
  286 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1120
• Darlene Johnson - Administrative Assistant II
  286-C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1101
• Philip Lienhart - Laboratory Aide
  86 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1127
• Sandie Litchfield - Secretary III
  284 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1104
• Cun Liu - Visiting Scholar
  524 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1247
• Deb Misiak - Secretary III
  372 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1112
• Khanh Nguyen - Research Instrument Equipment Technician II
  47 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1313
• Corey Noyes - Research Assistant I
  574 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1265
• Ryan Penton - Research Associate
  540E Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1289
• Gary Powell - Research Assistant II
  490 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1234
• Frank Roggenbuck - Research Assistant II
  Hancock Research Center, (517) 353-3117
• Umesh Rosyara - Visiting Research Associate
  322 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1376
• Jodie Schonfelder - Secretary III
  584 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1114
• Scott Shaw - USDA Technician
  494C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1206
• Lee Siler - Research Assistant II
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 290-0934
• Melissa Stiefel - USDA Secretary
  494D Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1205
• Yuanjie Su - Research Associate
  175A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1138
• Erin Taylor - Research Associate
  490 Plant and Soil Sciences , (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1234
• Marius Vital - Visiting Research Associate
  534A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1284
• Bill Widdicombe - Research Assistant I
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• Debbie Williams - Accountant II/S
  286 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1106
• Lori Williams - Research Assistant I
  Agronomy Farm, (517) 355-2287
• Xiangyang Yu - Visiting Research Associate
  566a Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1260
• Jiazheng Yuan - Visiting Research Associate
  356 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1173
• Kelly Zarka - Research Technician II
  372 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1111

Graduate Students

• Victoria Ackroyd - Graduate Assistant
  478 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1268
• Andrew Adkins - Graduate Assistant
  520 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1245
• Carmille Bales - Graduate Assistant
  356 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1173
• Mark Bezdek - Graduate Assistant
  526C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1249
• Beth Brisco - Graduate Assistant
  360 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1175
• Xingzhe Cai - Graduate Assistant
  572 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1264
• Desmi Chandrasena - Graduate Assistant
  364 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1178
• Jeffrey Dunne - Graduate Assistant
  162B Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1137
• D. Hashini Galhena - Graduate Assistant
  490 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271
• Thomas Green - Graduate Assistant
  162 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1137
• Xinmei Hao - Graduate Assistant
  520 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1245
• James Heilig - Graduate Assistant
  364 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1178
• Valerio Hoyos - Graduate Assistant
  A358 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1174
• Krista Isaacs - Graduate Assistant
  572 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1264
• Nikhil Jaikumar - Graduate Assistant
  494K Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1196
• Timothy Johnson - Graduate Assistant
  534 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1284
• Kelvin Kamfwa - Graduate Assistant
  368 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1180
• Daniel Kane - Graduate Assistant
  566 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1260
• Mark Miller - Graduate Assistant
  578a Plant and Soil Sciences , (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1268
• Swasti Mishra - Graduate Assistant
  364 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1178
• Wezi Mkwaila - Graduate Assistant
  366 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1179
• Gerardine Mukeshimana - Graduate Assistant
  384A Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1186
• Juan David Munoz-Robayo - Graduate Assistant
  360 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1175
• Greg Nederveld - Graduate Assistant
  524 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1247
• Brendan Neill - Graduate Assistant
  572B Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1264
• Thang Xuan Nguyen - Graduate Assistant
  358 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1174
• Kathleen O'Neil - Graduate Student
  572 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1264
• David Powell - Graduate Assistant
  478 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1230
• Leilei Ruan - Graduate Assistant
  378 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1108
• Bradley Serven - Graduate Assistant
  389 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1217
• Iiuri Shcherbak - Graduate Assistant
  378 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1108
• Rodney Tocco - Graduate Assistant
  438 Plant & Soil Sciences, (517) 355-5191 Ext. 1415
• Miyuan Xiao - Graduate Assistant
  578C Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1268
• Yingjie Zhang - Graduate Assistant
  584G Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1149
• Zhongnan Zhang - Graduate Assistant
  384G Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1189
• Xiaojing Zhu - Graduate Assistant
  572 Plant and Soil Sciences, (517) 355-0271 Ext. 1264

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