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 that students in this program are expected to meet include:
- Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of soil components and soil processes.
- Identify critical issues in fundamental and applied soil science and to formulate scientific approaches to those issues.
- Ability to apply knowledge of soil science to solve problems in nonacademic contexts and in collaboration with professionals in other disciplines.
- 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.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the soil as a fundamental natural resource, deserving of wise use and protection.
- Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues that pertain to soil science and science in general.
- Maintain, in collaboration with the faculty, an environment of discovery, professional pride, collaboration, and mutual support.
PhD candidate John Jones was awarded with the Future Leaders in Science Award from the ASA-CSSA-SSSA. Speaking with colleagues who had attended the ASA-CSSA-SSSA Congressional Visits Day in the past led him to apply for the award. The tri-societies provide workshops and sessions for graduate students who have an interest in communicating their science to a broader audience. After interacting with actively engaged graduate students and representatives from the ASA-CSSA-SSSA science policy office, the Future Leaders of Science Award seemed like an excellent opportunity for John to expand his understanding of science communicator.