mec62@cornell.edu
607-254-2945
Advisor: Laurie Drinkwater
Degree Program: PhD
CV
Education:
Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio
B.A. 1995, Biology
Background:
As an undergraduate, I majored in biology with a focus in plant ecology. During college and after graduation, I conducted research in prairie and forest ecology at Kansas State University and the University of Minnesota.
I changed my focus from plant ecology to farming because I desired a more direct application of my work. I completed an internship on a small organic vegetable farm in Oregon in 1996, which then led to four more farming seasons as the field manager at Angelic Organics, a 25-acre vegetable farm growing for an 1000+ member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the Chicago area.
Research Interests:
The goal of my dissertation research is to improve our mechanistic understanding of biological nitrogen fixation as one tool that could be intentionally managed to improve N retention in agroecosystems. I am quantifying biological nitrogen fixation in legume grain and cover crops across farm fields that represent a nitrogen fertility gradient due to different management histories. Within this broader context, I am looking at the effect of plant species differences and plant species interactions on nitrogen fixation and how this varies with background soil nitrogen availability. My future research interests include improving our understanding of plant-soil-microbe interactions that drive carbon and nitrogen cycling.