Our People

Adjesiwor, Albert
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist
Albert is a weed scientist and extension specialist studying and disseminating information on best weed management practices in agronomic crops, mainly: sugarbeet, dry beans, corn and small grains.

Agenbroad, Ariel
Area Extension Educator — Community Food Systems & Small Farms
Ariel leads and facilitates collaborative, multidisciplinary and multifaceted applied research and education in community food systems and small farms for Payette, Gem, Canyon, Ada, Owyhee and Elmore.





Arfania, Hamed
Postdoctoral Fellow
Cycling and transformation of phosphorus in tile drainage under conservation tillage systems. Intercropping and cover crops for increasing soil health in north and south of Idaho.



Baker, Sarah
Extension Educator
Sarah provides programming focusing on livestock, specifically end-product quality, as well as range management and 4-H youth development in Custer County..

Balderrama, Teresa
Extension Educator — 4-H Youth Development
Teresa provides leadership for various aspects of day-to-day 4-H operations in Kootenai County, including enrollment, volunteer training, dog program and a variety of local educational events.


Bass, Phil
Associate Professor — Meat Science
Phil applies industry experience to teach, advise students and others involved in the Pacific Northwest meat production and processing community; conducts applied research in meat quality with emphasis in beef.

Bautista, Francisco
Research Technician
Francisco sets up trials and follow protocols for applications. He collects plant, soil and insect samples for analysis. He also organizes the data for publications and reports.

Becker, Hydee
Clinical Assistant Professor & Director of Dietetics
Directs the nationally accredited dietetics program, leads development efforts of the dietetics program, recruits and advises dietetics students, and teaches food and nutrition courses.

Bell, Susan
Extension Educator — Horticulture
Susan is a leader in consumer and commercial horticultural education and provides practical educational programming for Ada County (Boise) and surrounding counties.

Bernard, Carrie
Administrative Coordinator
Carrie provide administrative support for office management, staff and UI Extension educators within the Twin Falls Research and Extension Center.


Beus, Cody
Extension Educator — Agronomy, Small Farms, Horticulture
Cody is a University of Idaho Extension educator focused on agronomy, small farms and horticulture. Beus provides classes and workshops focused on local agriculture needs, including the master gardener program.


Bingham, Andrew
Extension Educator and County Chair — Family & Consumer Sciences & Financial Management
Andrew is an Extension educator with a focus on financial management. Based in Ada County, Andrew works with community partners to provide financial literacy programs to individuals in need. He serves as chair for UI Extension, Ada County.


Blanch, Leslee
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences
Leslee is a registered dietitian and certified group fitness instructor providing nutrition, fitness and wellness classes for the community.

Bleazard, Thomas
Clinical Assistant Professor — Agricultural Systems Management
Teach classes in agricultural systems management and update course content as needed to keep students up to date on agriculture innovations.

Bledsoe, Jacob W.
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Aquaculture Research
Jake works to improve economic and environmental sustainability of aquaculture production through applied research (fish microbiome, nutritional physiology, disease, genetics and water quality). Extension priorities included workforce development and marketing.

Bohach, Carolyn Hovde
Distinguished Professor
Carolyn's focus is infectious disease with emphasis on the foodborne pathogen E. coli O157:H7. Primary interests are in the relationship of this human pathogen with healthy cattle.


Brooks, Erin
Professor — Agricultural Engineer
Erin is an agricultural engineer by training and is a licensed professional engineer in civil engineering in the state of Idaho. His research and teaching focuses on landscape hydrology, erosion, water quality, nutrient transport and cycling in forested and agroecosystems.


Buck, Julie
Extension Educator — Family & Consumer Sciences
Julie's programming areas include health, nutrition, food safety, 4-H youth development and is the Bingham County chair. Julie is a registered dietitian nutritionist.


Burke, Tenley
Research Associate
Tenley works primarily on the Indicators Idaho website updating maps and data. She also focuses on prospecting for relevant funding sources for CALS faculty.


Callister, David
Extension Educator and County Chair
David works to improve the agriculture and economic futures of Butte County working with adults and youth.




Carrillo, Martha
Field Technician
Responsibilities: Weed management, plant sampling, plant assessments, planting, harvest operations, post harvest processing, seed preparation.




Chen, Shiyi
Assistant Professor
Shiyi’s program of research aims to identify the role of metacognition in early science education and explores ways to integrate metacognitive thinking in learning.

Chen, Yimin
Assistant Professor — Research
Yimin is a human milk researcher with 15 years of clinical experience. She investigates the effects of human milk immunomodulatory components on the infant gastrointestinal and systemic immune response.


Chen, Lide
Professor — Waste Management Engineer
Chen’s focus is on value-added products from waste, mitigation of environmental impacts caused by waste, and dissemination of science-based information to help stakeholders make informed decisions, leading to positive changes.



Christensen, Lauren
Assistant Professor — Mixed Practice Production Medicine
Lauren teaches undergraduate courses at U of I and WSU vet student rotations, giving students hands-on learning experiences to develop, integrate, and apply critical thinking and technical skills.

Clarich, Carrie (Johnson)
Extension Educator — 4-H Youth Development
Carrie's programs focus on STEM, livestock, small animals, teens, leadership, citizenship and going onto secondary education.

Cochran, Audra
Extension Educator
Audra provides education programming and resources in farm and forestry topics for Clearwater County. She also provides leadership for the county 4-H program.






Cosdon, Courtney
Soil Health Extension Instructor
Courtney fosters collaboration between farmers/producers and soil health professionals. She also creates and fills the gaps in regionally relevant soil health resources.

Cox, Connor
Extension Educator
Connor specializes in horticulture and agriculture, serving the Elmore County.

Crump, Alex
Research Specialist
I support ongoing research efforts, with a primary focus on soil and environmental inorganic chemistry; provide analytical assistance to collaborators; support graduate students; laboratory and field studies.


Cumagun, Christian Joseph
Postdoctoral Research Scientist — Plant Pathologist
Christian leads the Plant Clinic which provides diagnostic services and advice to growers. His research projects focus on seed health and plant disease management.


Dalton, Joseph
Professor & Extension Specialist — Dairy
Dalton’s research is focused on increasing the efficiency of artificial insemination in dairy cattle, including sperm dosage, heat detection accuracy, synchronization programs, AI technician proficiency and identification of fertility markers.

Dandurand, Louise-Marie
Research Associate Professor
Nematology: Globodera pallida biology, population genetics and control

Davis, Jim B.
Principal Research Specialist, Retired
Jim previously managed the breeding research program’s field trials, regional variety trials and its oilseed quality laboratory. He currently works part time assisting in all areas of the research program.

de Haro-Martí, Mario
Extension Educator
Mario works helping Idaho producers to manage and reduce the environmental impact of their livestock and farming operations while increasing their productivity, sustainability and workforce education.

DePhelps, Colette
Area Extension Educator — Community Food Systems
DePhelps’ specializes in community food systems; small farms; organizational development, strategic planning and facilitation. She advocates for and uses community-based, participatory approaches to education and research to develop impactful programs.

Dobre, Mariana
Research Scientist
I have broad interests in hydrology and water resources. I strive to better understand how human and natural disturbances of the environment alter both the availability and the quality of water resources.




Doumit, Stacey
Senior Instructor
Doumit’s equine course provides an understanding of science and production as it relates to the care and management of the horse, including hands-on experience for students in equine management practices.


Duellman, Kasia
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Seed Potato
Kasia’s research focuses on seed potato production, with the overall goal of improving quality. Specific emphasis is on pathogens important to seed potato production and seed health and seed-related aspects of commercial potato production.


Ekins, Jim
Extension Educator — Area Water
Jim is the water educator for UI Extension. Jim runs the IDAH2O Master Water Stewards citizen science program, and in north Idaho, Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) programs.

Ellison, Melinda
Associate Professor & Extension Specialist — Range Livestock & Sheep
Ellison's research focuses primarily on the effects of grazing livestock on wildlife and range.


Erickson, Luke
Associate Professor & Extension Specialist — Personal Finance
My interests include personal finance, with an emphasis on youth education. Areas of expertise include credit building, credit scores, investing for retirement, withdrawal strategies, financial goal setting and emergency preparedness.

Etienne, Xiaoli
Associate Professor & Idaho Wheat Commission Endowed Chair in Commodity Risk Management
Xiaoli Etienne’s work seeks to identify core risks in the agricultural and energy sectors and offer solutions to address these risks.


Ewers, Timothy G.
Extension Specialist — 4-H Youth Development
Expanding and bolstering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in 4-H programs and support for program evaluations.

Findlay, Reed
Extension Educator — Crops & Horticulture
Reed Findlay serves as a crops and horticulture Extension educator and county chair in Bannock and Bingham counties.

Finkelnburg, Douglas
Area Extension Educator — Cropping Systems
Finkelnburg supports dryland cropping systems activities throughout northern Idaho. His collaborative approaches to deliver unbiased university driven research to agricultural producers and agricultural industry partners to solve ongoing production challenges.

Fisher, MJ
UI Extension, Central District Director
MJ provides leadership and support for the UI Extension educators in the central district counties. His previous Extension work was around livestock production and promoting agriculture.

Fisher, Matt
Area Extension Educator — Agriculture, STEM
Matt focuses on agriculture literacy with an emphasis on STEM to increase youth access to agriculture and STEM education throughout Idaho.

Fitzsimons, Daniel
Assistant Professor
My research focuses on identifying the molecular processes that underlie the regulation of cardiac contraction and relaxation in the context of normal and diseased states, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure.


Freel, Angela
Director of UI Extension 4-H Youth Development
Angie Freel, Ph.D., has worked in Cooperative Extension for 27 years and is enjoying her role as the 4-H director at the University of Idaho.


Ghimire, Nav
Associate Director of UI Extension
Nav’s experience includes impact evaluation, program design, implementation and adult education. His focus is building evaluation capacity of Extension educators and increase their ability to document program impacts that meet the needs of local, state and federal stakeholders.

Gibbons, Jared
Extension Educator
Jared's primary focus and outreach is agronomy/cropping systems and 4-H. His other study areas include, regenerative agriculture, soil microbiology and horticulture.

Glaze, Benton
Professor & Extension Specialist — Beef
Benton focuses on breeding and genetics, beef quality assurance, general management and reproduction. He serves as a resource for beef producers, allied industries, veterinarians, Extension educators and the general public.

Gleason, Gayle
Academic Advisor & Peer Leader Liaison
Advisor for first and second year students in agribusiness and applied economics; peer leader liaison. Drop-ins are welcome or email for an appointment.


Gosz, Rusty
UI Extension, Northern District Director
Provide programmatic vision and leadership in the northern Idaho extension to engage both the university and communities through research-based education to help build a thriving, prosperous, healthy Idaho.

Gray, Debbie
Interim Director
Debbie assists faculty through all stages of the project development process: from articulating a project, identifying funding, editing and writing proposals, creating budgets, to patiently wrangling paperwork and managing funded projects.

Greene, Steve
Program Manager
Program manager for the Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy grant funded by USDA NIFA SAS.


Greenway, Surine
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences
Surine is a University of Idaho alum who enjoys working for University of Idaho Extension while working with consumers throughout Owyhee County and the southern region of Idaho.

Griebel-Thompson, Adrianne
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist
The aim of my work is to ensure optimal growth and development of infants and toddlers through nutrition.

Griffin, Madison
Administrative Specialist & Academic Advisor
Academic advisor for first and second year students in agribusiness and applied economics. Administrative specialist for AERS and peer leader liaison. Drop-ins welcome or schedule an appointment in VandalStar.




Hall, John
Professor & Extension Specialist — Beef; Cattle Management Lead, Rinker Rock Creek Ranch
The center is the University of Idaho’s primary cow/calf and forage research center. John’s program conducts applied research to enhance food production and sustainability of beef production operations.


Hamilton, Melissa
Extension Educator — Community Development and Agriculture
Melissa's interests include rural regional planning, multi-modal transportation systems, asset/value based development, community food systems, and meeting facilitation and capacity building.

Hamlett, Janna
Clinical Faculty & Extension Specialist — Food Processing
Janna works and assists the local food processing industry through TechHelp, UI Extension and the Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences Department.



Hansen, Lance
Extension Educator and County Chair
Lance offers programs and classes that focus on financial literacy, 4-H youth development and food safety. He is the department chair for University of Idaho Extension in Madison County.

Hardy, Ronald
Professor Emeritus
Hardy is an expert in animal nutrition, specifically fish nutrition and served as director of the Aquaculture Research Institute.



Hatzenbuehler, Patrick
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist
Patrick performs evidence-based research and extension work on agricultural commodity markets with a focus on market structure and conditions for crops grown in Idaho.

Heimgartner, Marvin
Assistant Clinical Professor
Heimgartner teaches courses in agricultural mechanics and skills such as beginning welding, shop practices and advanced welding. Students mastering the theoretical and technical knowledge as well as the tactile or motor skill.

Heinse, Robert
Acting Department Head
Soil and environmental physics with an emphasis on hydraulic properties of soils and porous media as well as their characterization using near-surface geophysics.


Hickok, Kathryn
Extension Educator and Eat Smart Idaho Administrator
Kathryn is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Her programming areas include health, nutrition, food safety and 4-H youth development.



Hines, Steven
Extension Educator — Crops
Steven Hines is the crop educator for Jerome and Twin Falls counties. He works in the areas of forages, cereals, cover crops, farm management and farm succession.




Hoffman-McFarland, Katie
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences
Katie currently serves the county of Lemhi in the areas of community development, family and consumer sciences, and 4-H youth development.

Holtmeyer, Talia
Meat Lab Assistant
Assistant to the Meat Lab manager in processing, slaughter of beef, pork and lamb.

Hong, Zonglie
Associate Professor
He teaches general biochemistry and plant biochemistry courses. His research covers areas of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics and genomics of plants, with special interests in cell wall biosynthesis, flower and seed development, and biological nitrogen fixation.

Howard, Tasha
Extension Educator and County Chair — Family & Consumer Sciences
Tasha's expertise is in behavioral health. She has a passion for teaching and helping others live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Hu, Ruifang
Postdoctoral Fellow
My focus is studying the phosphorus cycling and transformation in soils with long term manure amendment.

Hutchinson, Pamela J.S.
Associate Professor & Extension Specialist — Potato Cropping Systems Weed Scientist



Jackson, Chad A.
Operations Manager
Oversees the daily operations of the Aberdeen Research and Extension Center.

Jacobsen, Tom
Extension Educator — Horticulture & Small Farms, 4-H Youth Development
With a focus on horticulture and small farms, Tom brings 19 years of experience teaching high school agriculture in Fremont County. He encourages youth to engage in agricultural advocacy.

Jensen, Jennifer
Extension Educator — Horticulture & Small Acreage Farms
Jensen provides classes and workshops for adults and children in horticulture and small acreage farm production. She serves the citizens of Bonner County with one-on-one consultations for production matters.

Jensen, Kirstin
Extension Educator — Health & Fitness/Nutrition
Kirstin emphasis is family and consumer sciences. She offers programming in health, nutrition and fitness to all community members, schools and businesses.

Jensen, K. Scott
Extension Educator and County Chair
Scott conducts applied research and extension programs in beef cattle, range and pasture management. He co-coordinates the Idaho Beef Quality Assurance program and conducts the longstanding Lost Rivers Grazing Academy.

Jiménez, Vanessa Otero
Postdoctoral Fellow
Vanessa evaluates how different soil management strategies (crop diversity, intercropping, compost addition, livestock-crop integration) can influence an agroecosystem through holistic approach (microbial community diversity, function, soil enzyme activities, etc.).

Johnson, Shelly
Extension Educator — Family & Consumer Sciences
Shelly specializes in nutrition, health promotion/wellness programs. She is known for programming in obesity prevention, healthy food pantries/drives, smarter lunchroom, soccer for success, diabetes and nutrition education for low-income families.

Jones, Linda
Technical Aide II
Isolation and culturing plant pathogens, analyzing seed phosphorus data, data compilation, operating FOSS Near Infrared spectrophotometer, performing beta glucan testing, participating in planting and harvest operations.

Kahl, Kendall
Research Specialist
Kahl manages the Soil and Water Resources Lab where much of the research is focused around carbon and nitrogen cycling, earthworm ecology and soil health monitoring in regional conservation agriculture soils and native ecosystems.



Kaya, Jonah
Research Specialist
Jonah manages greenhouse operations and does oilseed quality testing for the U of I Brassica Breeding and Research Program as well as assisting the group with field trials and regional variety testing.

Kayler, Zachary
Assistant Professor
My projects focus on the understanding of ecosystem biogeochemical cycles within natural and managed ecosystems with an emphasis on ecosystem sustainability, resilience, diversity and adaptation.


Khadka, Kamal
Assistant Professor
Kamal aims to develop genetically superior Brassica cultivars by exploiting a broad genetic base through the identification and introgression of genes associated with desirable traits using advanced breeding tools.


Kinder, Cindy
Extension Educator
Youth development and livestock Extension educator working with Gooding and Camas counties outreaching to schools, youth and adult organizations focusing on STEM, livestock, horse, leadership/workforce skills and higher education topics.

Knutz, Mike
Area Extension Educator — 4-H Youth Development
Mike Knutz supports statewide 4-H teen leadership programs and 4-H educators across central Idaho. Mike's passion is helping youth thrive through their 4-H experience.

Konetchy, Denise
Associate Professor — Small Ruminant Medicine
Owner and clinical practitioner of a rural mixed animal veterinary practice. The practice emphasized strategies, of preventative medicine, herd health and client education. In addition I was a temporary instructor at the University of Idaho.

Kruger, Kevin
Scientific Aide II
I maintain the lab and it's equipment. We research solid-liquid separation, nutrient content and best practices of dairy production.


Kumar, Vikas
Assistant Professor — Fish Nutrition & Nutrigenomics
Kumar’s research interest revolves around aquaculture (marine and freshwater); nutrition, physiology and genomics of aquatic animals. His primary research is to develop nutritionally balanced, environmentally sound and cost-effective seafood production.

Lackey, Kimberly
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research on human milk composition, with a focus on the microbiome and infectious disease transmission between breastfeeding mothers and infants.

Lane, Virginia (Ginny)
Assistant Professor
Lane focuses are on community and global nutrition; food security risks among vulnerable populations, international and Indigenous contexts; determinants of chronic disease; and multidisciplinary mixed methods approaches to complex issues.

Larson, Mallery
Research Specialist
I assist with research projects involving the dairy, beef and sheep centers. I supervise and train graduate and undergraduate students on research techniques as well as ensure projects are compliant.


Leblanc, Luc
Curator & Manager of William F. Barr Entomological Museum
Luc has extensive experience in insect taxonomy (especially Tephritidae and Ichneumonidae) and managing insect collections. He implemented plant protection-related projects in Africa (1989-1994) and the South Pacific Islands (1994-2002).

Lee, Katherine
Associate Professor
Katherine's research focus is highly interdisciplinary, using economic and ecological concepts in mathematical models and empirical analyses in order to explore feedbacks between human and natural systems.

Lee, Siew Guan
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences
Siew Guan Lee is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Her programming areas include health, nutrition, food safety and 4-H youth development.


Lewallen, Chelsey
Instructor
Chelsey is a professional sewist specializing in clothing alterations, repairs, garment construction, patternmaking and textile sustainability.

Lewin, Paul
Associate Professor & Extension Specialist; Director, Rural Studies & Digital Economy programs


Li, Johnny (Liujun)
Assistant Professor — Precision Agriculture & Intelligent Robotics
Johnny’s research is focused on robotics sensing, control and computing and their interfacing with artificial intelligence and decision support systems for climate-smart agriculture, sustainable manufacturing and infrastructural management.

Liang, Xi
Associate Professor — Cropping Systems Agronomy
Xi Liang is leading a Cropping Systems Agronomy program with focuses on crop physiology in response to abiotic and biotic stresses, irrigation management and alternative crop agronomy (e.g., cover crops and quinoa).

Loomis, Grant
Extension Educator
Grant offers programming for small farms, soil health and cover crops.



Lucas, Jane
Postdoctoral Associate
I am exploring the factors that influence the invertebrate and microbial communities within the leaf litter and soil in agricultural and tropical ecosystems.

Luckhart, Shirley
Professor, Co-Director of Institute for Health in the Human Ecosystem
Luckhart is an expert in arthropod-borne infectious diseases. Her major focus is malaria, including innate immunity in the mosquito and mammalian host and interventions to block both disease and transmission.


Maas, Alexander
Assistant Professor
Maas’ research areas include the allocation and valuation of scarce resources, with a focus on water related issues. He is an interdisciplinary, applied economist with a particular focus on the economic implications of resource management and local policies.


Mahler, Robert
Professor — Soil, Water & Environmental Sciences
Robert conducts research on water quality and water quantity water resource issues in Idaho. In addition to public perceptions, priorities and actions taken to address water resource issues in the Pacific Northwest.

Malek, Katie
Research Specialist
Katie researches for fungal and bacterial pathogens that affect potatoes. She assists with fungicide trials and sampling research plots as well as commercial fields to test for foliar diseases.

Malek, Alan
Agricultural Technician
Alan conducts field trials for multiple chemical companies. Our research works with new unlabeled fungicides and the continued efficacy of labeled fungicides.

Manker, Gretchen
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences
Gretchen is a family and consumer sciences Extension educator located in Jerome County. She is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and her focus is on health and nutrition programming.


Martinez, Sendy
Extension Educator, Senior Instructor
Sendy works as a 4-H associate Extension educator, senior instructor. Her responsibilities include 4-H youth development programming for underserved and minority audiences in both Ada and Canyon counties.


Mayes, Iris
Extension Educator — Small Farms & Horticulture
Iris leads community-level UI Extension efforts in small farms and horticulture for Latah County.


McGuire, Mark
University Distinguished Professor, Associate Dean of Research & Director of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station







Mills, Rebecca
Extension Educator — Livestock & 4-H Youth Development
Rebecca's focus in Gem and Boise counties and within the southern district is livestock, small farms and 4-H youth development programming.


Minnich, Scott
Professor
Scott's focus is on bacterial pathogenesis of Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pestis, etiologic agents of yersiniosis and bubonic plague respectively; and ability to suppress the innate immune response of mammalian hosts.

Moller, Greg
Professor
Greg’s focus is to advance sustainability by developing new knowledge and innovations in the area of sustainable solutions for water resources impacting individuals, communities and environmental quality globally.

Momont, Patrick
UI Extension, Southern District Director; Superintendent
Pat’s experience includes serving as a state beef Extension specialist, conducting joint research and extension projects involving cow nutrition, grazing behavior, retained ownership and alternative forages.


Morrisroe-Aman, Bridget
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences
Ms. Morrisroe-Aman is a family and consumer sciences (FCS) assistant professor, in Ada County, focused on nutrition, health and food safety. She leads the district Diabetes Prevention Program and co-leads the district Master Food Safety Advisor volunteer programs.

Murdoch, Brenda
Associate Professor
Murdoch’s research focuses on characterizing the relationship between genetic variation in mammals and traits which are valued and important to society. She exploits a number of molecular and genetic tools to further improve our understanding of how these variations affect biological processes of both undesirable and desirable phenotypic traits.



Nagy, Kyle
Superintendent & Orchard Operations Manager
Kyle Nagy is responsible for the operations at Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center. The center includes a USDA Certified Organic orchard that specializes in antique and heirloom fruit varieties.


Nash, Scott
Regional 4-H Youth Development Educator
Scott provides 4-H leadership in 14 eastern Idaho counties as well as statewide leadership in 4-H animal science.



Nomee, Shaina
Extension Educator — Tribal
Shaina's role is to continue providing leadership through development, partnership, education and collaboration that support our youth on the Schitsu’umsh Reservation through 4-H enrichment and Schitsu’umsh tribal culture.

Nunes, Savanah
Media and Communications Manager
Savanah's focus is to keep the public up to date on the research and advancement of the Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy grant through the grant's several media platforms.

O'Connell, John
Assistant Director of Communications
John will write stories, press releases, newsletters and otherwise share the important research and workings of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.





Paszczynski, Andrzej J.
Professor Emeritus
Andrzej focus is to discern and verify the unique proteins (biomarkers) that infer directly or indirectly the functional aspects of microbial tolerance of the extreme environmental conditions.


Patterson, Ron
Extension Educator — Horticulture/Agriculture
Ron has extensive experience in horticulture and agriculture, with emphasis in weed control, and beneficial and pest insects.


Peutz, Joey
Extension Educator
Joey Peutz serves as the county chair as she develops, teaches and evaluates nutrition and food safety programs for adults and children in Payette County and a nine-county district.





Qualls, Ph.D., P.E., Russell
Associate Professor, Idaho State Climatologist
Campus: Moscow
Courses: environmental hydrology, northwest climate and water resources change, engineering fluid mechanics
Areas of Expertise: satellite remote sensing of mountain snowpack, snowmelt runoff modeling, modeling of evapotranspiration




Richel, Karen
Extension Educator — Financial Literacy
Karen provides basic “K through Gray” financial education and counsels clients as an accredited financial counselor and a certified money coach for 10 north Idaho counties.

Robertson, Amy
Extension Educator — Family and Consumer Sciences & 4-H
Amy provides a variety of workshops, classes and other learning opportunities in food safety, nutrition and healthy living. She also organizes and implements 4-H youth development events for local youth.

Robison, Clarence
Research Associate II
My research include surface water quality, water use by crops/vegetation, instrumentation of non-agricultural areas collecting meteorological data Also supervise the laboratory technicians and maintain the databases and equipment.


Roe, Christina (Allen)
Administrative Financial Specialist, Eat Smart Idaho
Assist the director and state coordinator for Eat Smart Idaho. Manage and project multiple budgets and personnel actions for Eat Smart Idaho throughout Idaho.




Ryu, Jae Hyeon
Associate Professor
My research is on drought monitoring and forecasting, hydrological modeling, and water resources planning and management in a changing global environment associated with urbanization and climate variability. Continue in biography.


Sagers, Joseph
Extension Educator — Agronomy
Joseph specializes in agronomy and livestock, with a emphasis on forage production, grazing management and Spanish programs.

Sant, Laura
Extension Educator — Health/Nutrition/Food Safety & 4-H
Laura provides community education to residents in Franklin County. She is also a registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed dietitian in Idaho and nationally recognized for her work.


Schnepf, Chris
Area Extension Educator — Forestry
Chris provides workshops, short courses, field days, publications, videos and other learning opportunities on applied forest ecology and silviculture for family forest owners, loggers and professional foresters.


Schott, Linda
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Nutrient & Waste Management
Linda addresses the needs of stakeholders in southern Idaho related to the impacts of nutrient and livestock waste management and other land management practices on soil health and water quality.


Schroeder, Kurtis
Associate Professor & Extension Specialist — Cropping Systems Agronomist
Kurtis’ research focus is improving cereal-based cropping systems through a combination of crop rotation, nutrient management and agronomic inputs. He directs the small grain and grain legume variety trials for northern Idaho.

Schwarting, Donna
Extension Educator — 4-H Volunteer Development
As part of UI Extension 4-H Youth Development, I oversee the volunteer management system and provide support to county Extension personnel in recruitment, training and retention of 4-H volunteers statewide.

Schwarzläender, Mark
Professor; Associate Director of Center for Research on Invasive Species

Scott, Danielle
Extension Educator
Danielle has been in extension for over seven years. She has been in education for over 30 years. Her specialty areas include S.T.E.A.M. education, youth life skills and trauma resilience.

Shelman, Tod
Scientific Aide II
Responsibilities: Plot herbicide treatment, weed management, barley quality data, seed preparation, data compilation, equipment operation, fabrication and maintenance.

Shelstad, Nancy
Area Extension Educator — 4-H Youth Development
Nancy provides leadership to design, develop and implement programs such as New 4-H Volunteer Orientation, innovative youth programming, orientation to 4-H and promotes Positive Youth Development in youth programming statewide.

Silkwood, Gail
Extension Educator
Gail provides leadership for the 4-H program, UpRiver Afterschool, youth development camps and teaches the master gardener program in Benewah County. She also provides educational resources in agriculture and livestock topics.

Skibiel, Amy
Assistant Professor — Lactation Physiology
Skibiel’s research interests lie at the intersection of lactation biology, maternal effects and performance. These topics are studied using observational and experimental approaches and from both evolutionary and dairy production perspectives.

Small, Meranda
Extension Educator
Meranda provides education programming and resources focused on livestock topics, specifically beef cattle production. She also provides leadership for the county 4-H program.



Spackman, Jared
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Barley Agronomy
Jared researches sustainable irrigated and dryland barley production strategies with emphasis on soil nutrient management for yield, end-use quality (malt, feed and food), plant health, and soil and water quality.


Spear, Rhett
Assistant Professor
Agronomic and economic evaluations of new potato varieties through cultural management trials and new variety selection.

Spencer, Marnie R.
UI Extension, Eastern District Director
Marnie is the University of Idaho Extension, Eastern District director, supporting Extension in 14 southeastern counties.

Sponseller, Claire
Area Extension Educator — 4-H STEM
Claire provides leadership for the Idaho Think Make Create Labs in addition to expanding resources and access to STEM education on a statewide level.





Stokes, Brad
Extension Educator — Horticulture
Brad specializes in horticulture and entomology, serving Canyon County and the Master Gardener program.

Strawn, Daniel
Professor — Environmental Soil Chemistry
My Environmental Soil Chemistry program is focused on gaining a better understanding of reaction processes in the environment to gain new insights into contaminant and nutrient speciation, reaction pathways, and mineralogy in soil and water systems.


Strickland, Michael S.
Research Associate Professor
My research interests are the interface between soil, microbial and ecosystem ecology. Soils, as well as the microbial communities and ecosystem processes supported by soils, are some of the most imperiled systems on the planet.

Stuen, Andrea Noble
Research Specialist
Manage the Arthropod Molecular Systematics Lab and contribute to new research with Chris Hamilton and graduate students.



Tedder, Makayla
Administrative Coordinator
Makayla assists students and faculty within the Plant Sciences Department with any questions or concerns they may have.

Teixeira, Izabelle
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Dairy
Teixeira’s research focuses on improving our understanding of nutrient utilization and animal efficiency to reduce the impact of ruminant production on the environment and enhance sustainability of ruminant production systems.

Teixeira, Gustavo
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Potato Postharvest Physiologist
My research addresses the challenges of reducing potato postharvest losses focusing on the physiological and biochemical modifications, and to create support for the Idaho potato growers, processors and shippers.



Tifft, Kathee
Extension Educator and County Chair — Community Development, Family & Consumer Sciences

Toomey, Maureen
Area Extension Educator — 4-H Youth Development
Toomey directs the 4-H nutrition, physical activity, wellbeing the visual arts. To support these programs, she leads the teen advocates for health, well-being and the visual arts.

Trujillo-Barrera, Andres
Associate Professor & Director, Agricultural Commodity Risk Management Program
Andres' research deals with understanding the role of risk on marketing and finance strategies in the food and agricultural industry.






Vaughan, Chandra
Extension Educator — 4-H Youth Development
Chandra provides leadership, instruction and support for 4-H youth development programs focusing on youth development, adult volunteer development, youth education program development, expanding partnerships and participation, and membership growth.

Vermaas, Lori
Publishing Editor
I copy edit and proofread all peer-accepted manuscripts to UI Extension, shepherd submissions through all production stages and serve as a liaison between authors and production staff, among many other duties.



Wagoner, R. Kent
Senior Agricultural Technician
Operate farm equipment, irrigate and assist the farm operations supervisor as needed.

Wahl, Lori
Senior Instructor
I teach design, apparel technology and industry-aligned courses with emphasis on applied learning through projects that simulate industry processes. I enthusiastically support undergraduate research projects and entrepreneurial endeavors.


Walsh, Olga
Associate Professor & Extension Specialist — Cropping Systems Agronomy
Developing and delivering relevant research and educational programs in sustainable cropping systems using best management practices for important crops grown in Idaho.



Watson, Philip
Professor
Watson is a natural resource and regional development economist whose research focuses on the role of natural resources in the economic health of communities and evidence based economic development planning.

Wenninger, Erik
Professor & Extension Specialist, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator

Werlin, Jennifer
Extension Educator — Community Food Systems
Jennifer provides educational programs associated with enhancing local agriculture, community food systems and 4-H youth development. Her interests include healthy seasonal cooking, gardening, season extension, food security and permaculture design.

West, Andres “Andy”
Extension Educator — Horticulture
I use my experience and education in horticulture to teach the public about landscape sustainability through conservation, fruit and vegetable production, native plants and Waterwise landscaping.



Wickwar, Desireè
Program Manager — Integrated Pest Management-Extension Implementation Program
Desireè works with University of Idaho personnel statewide to accomplish the Integrated Pest Management-Extension Implementation Program goals, create and share resources that encourage use of IPM, and report to USDA-NIFA.



Williams, Shannon
Extension Educator and County Chair — Agriculture & Natural Resources
Shannon serves as county chair for UI Extension, Lemhi County. Her focus areas are beef production, noxious weeds, 4-H livestock and community leadership.


Willmore, Carmen
Extension Educator — Livestock & 4-H
Carmen provides educational opportunities related to livestock and 4-H youth development.



Wittman, Grace
Extension Educator
I provide leadership in the areas of food safety, food preservation, nutrition and youth development. I focus primarily on food preservation classes, hand washing education and cooking skills classes.


Woodhall, James
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist — Plant Pathologist
James offers a range of diagnostic tests and advice to growers. His research program characterizes plant pathogens and developing new diagnostic methods for diseases across a range of crops.


