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Soil Science

Get advanced knowledge, skills, and techniques to address environmental and agricultural problems facing our global community. Students majoring in Soil Science will select one of the following areas of specialization:

  • Chemistry
  • Fertility
  • Management
  • Microbiology & Biochemistry
  • Morphology & Genesis
  • Physics

Learning Goals

Demonstrate

Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of soil components and soil processes.

Identify

Identify critical issues in fundamental and applied soil science and to formulate scientific approaches to those issues.

Apply

Ability to apply knowledge of soil science to solve problems in nonacademic contexts and in collaboration with professionals in other disciplines.

Communicate

Demonstrate professional communication skills, using effective strategies both when writing technical reports, research proposals, journal articles, or popular press articles and when giving oral or poster presentations to scientific or lay audiences.

Appreciate

Demonstrate an appreciation of the soil as a fundamental natural resource, deserving of wise use and protection.

Understand

Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues that pertain to soil science and science in general.

Collaborate

Maintain, in collaboration with the faculty, an environment of discovery, professional pride, collaboration, and mutual support.

Soil Science Experts

Associate Teaching Professor
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Office:
1024 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-3287
Email:
amberand@iastate.edu
Morrill Professor
Lee Burrras, Morrill Professor, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University
Office:
2015 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-0559
Email:
lburras@iastate.edu
Professor and Lead, Iowa Nitrogen Initiative
William T. Frankenberger Professorship in Soil Science
mike_cropped
Office:
2104l Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-3963
Email:
castelmj@iastate.edu
Professor and Director of the Iowa Water Center
Cruse ICM 2023
Office:
3202 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-7850
Email:
rmc@iastate.edu
Associate Teaching Professor
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Office:
856 Hadrian Drive
Phone:
(919) 761-5300
Email:
ddobill@iastate.edu
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Scientist II
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Office:
3354 Elings 605 Bissell Rd
Phone:
515-294-3144
Email:
bkgelder@iastate.edu
Professor
Director of Graduate Education
Agronomy Advisory Council Member
Department of Agronomy Faculty Senator
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Office:
3007 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-9868
Email:
bkh@iastate.edu
Distinguished Professor
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Office:
2543 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-7843
Email:
rhorton@iastate.edu
Affiliate Associate Professor
Kovar
Office:
305 Natl Lab AG Env 1015 N University Blvd
Phone:
(515) 294-3419
Email:
jokovar@iastate.edu
Associate Teaching Professor
Kwaw-Mensah
Office:
2407 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
1-515-294-5106
Email:
dkwaw@iastate.edu
Affiliate Associate Professor
Research collaboration with the Agronomy Faculty in areas of Soil Science, Nutrient Management, Soybean Management, Precision Agriculture, Remote Sensing, and Predictive Analytics
Office:
2104 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-1360
Email:
kyveryga@iastate.edu
Professor (Emeritus)
Photo Credit: Christopher Gannon
Office:
3216 Agronomy Hall, 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-6200
Email:
apmallar@iastate.edu
Professor
George Washington Carver Endowed Chair
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Office:
1126A Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-5510
Email:
akmanu@iastate.edu
Associate Professor
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Office:
2517 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-7947
Email:
marsh@iastate.edu
Associate Professor
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Office:
2019 Agronomy Hall, 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-8077
Email:
millerba@iastate.edu
Assistant Professor
Roth,Richard
Professor
President-Elect, Soil Science Society of America
Michael Thompson
Office:
2503 Agronomy 716 Farm House Ln
Phone:
(515) 294-2415
Email:
mlthomps@iastate.edu

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