AGREETT faculty and educators

Matthew Aliota

Associate Professor, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Aliota investigates the transmission, pathogenesis, and evolution of airborne and arthropod-borne viral pathogens to protect animal and human health.

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Jayendra Amamcharla

Professor, Food Science and Nutrition

Amamcharla leads research into dairy processing and milk protein modification to drive innovation and value for Minnesota’s dairy industry and is the director of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center and the J.J. Warthesen Food Processing Center.

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Chad Babcock

Assistant Professor, Forest Resources

Babcock utilizes remote sensing and satellite data to modernize forest inventories and teaches courses on remote sensing and its applications in natural resources management.

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Kahina Boukherroub

Assistant Professor, Animal Science

Boukherroub studies avian female reproductive function in health and disease in poultry and teaches undergraduate courses in animal growth and development and avian anatomy and physiology, and hatchery and flock management.

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Erin Cortus

Associate Professor and Extension Engineer

Cortus studies livestock housing systems to improve air quality, animal comfort, and environmental sustainability and works with industry and growers to implement new practices.

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Diane DeWitte

Extension educator, swine

DeWitte provides expertise in swine production and management to enhance farm productivity and animal welfare.

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Tim Gieseke

Extension educator, Agricultural Water Management

Gieseke leads statewide irrigation certification and drainage management programs to help Minnesota farmers optimize crop yields while protecting vital groundwater and watershed health.

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Andrez Gomez

Extension educator, Agricultural Water Management

Gieseke leads statewide irrigation certification and drainage management programs to help Minnesota farmers optimize crop yields while protecting vital groundwater and watershed health.

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Susanne Hinrichs

Extension educator, Ag Business Management

Hinrichs leads educational programming in farm transition planning, business succession planning, and timely agricultural or legislative policy advocacy, and also leads Minnesota’s Women in Ag Network.

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Natalie Hoidal

Extension educator, Fruit and Vegetable Production

Hoidal works with Minnesota's 3,000+ vegetable farmers on all aspects of vegetable production to support fresh market growers’ success and sustainability.

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Annalisa Hultberg

Extension educator, Food Safety

Hultberg leads education on on-farm food safety and GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) to help farmers and gardeners keep their fresh fruit and vegetables safe and free from contaminants that can cause foodborne illness.

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Jacob Jungers

Associate Professor, Agronomy and Plant Genetics

Jungers leads research focused on improving the profitability and sustainability of cropping systems and teaches undergraduate courses in the Plant Sciences major.

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Jennifer Kimball

Assistant Professor, Agronomy and Plant Genetics

Kimball works across cultivated wild rice breeding, genetics, and agroecology to improve productivity and resilience while supporting long-term stewardship of Minnesota’s wild rice systems.

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Peter Larsen

Associate Professor, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Peter Larsen develops rapid, field-deployable diagnostic tests for chronic wasting disease (CWD) and other emerging animal threats and also leads the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach.

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Amelia Lindsey

Associate Professor, Entomology

Lindsey studies insect-microbe interactions and insect reproduction, ultimately enabling strategies for the management of pests that threaten Minnesota’s agricultural productivity.

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Megan McCaghey

Assistant Professor, Plant Pathology

McCaghey studies soil-borne fungi that cause crop diseases, with a focus on understanding the ecology and epidemiology of soil-associated fungi and oomycetes and enhancing disease resistance to improve management.

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Yuxin Miao

Professor, Soil, Water and Climate

Miao develops precision agricultural management approaches focused on nitrogen management to optimize crop yields, resource use efficiency and profitability while protecting the environment and also teaches precision agriculture and nutrient management courses.

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Brandon Miller

Assistant Professor, Horticultural Science

Miller supports the nursery and landscape industries through the development, production, and use of novel specialty perennial horticultural crops adapted to cultivation in northern climates.

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Chryseis Modderman

Extension educator, Manure Management

Modderman collaborates with farmers and researchers to identify and address manure management needs across Minnesota and leads educational programs that promote the use of manure as a crop nutrient source while balancing environmental concerns.

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Eric Mousel

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist

Mousel studies and develops cow-calf production systems and livestock management strategies to strengthen the beef industry.

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Noelle Noyes

Associate Professor, Veterinary Population Medicine

Noyes studies antibiotic resistance, microbial ecology, livestock production microbiomes, and metagenomics and develops new tools to advance microbial eco-epidemiology and improve animal health and food safety.

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Roberta O'Connor

Associate Professor, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

O’Connor focuses on identifying new compounds, derived from natural products, for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis, a zoonotic gastrointestinal parasite that causes diarrheal disease in both humans and neonatal ruminants.

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Lindsay Pease

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist

Pease leads research and works with farmers on drainage water management to reduce nutrient runoff and improve soil health in northern climates.

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Matt Pfarr

Extension educator, Crops

Pfarr connects farmers and ag professionals with research-based solutions for crop management and agricultural technology.

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Heidi Roop

Associate Professor and Extension Specialist

Roop helps Minnesota communities, businesses and State, local and Tribal governments understand and manage weather and climate risks and is the Director of the Climate Adaptation Partnership.

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Isaac Salfer

Assistant Professor, Animal Science

Salfer studies dairy cattle nutrition and circadian rhythms to improve milk production, feed efficiency and cow health and teaches dairy nutrition and nutritional management classes.

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Debalin Sarangi

Assistant Professor and Extension Weed Scientist

Sarangi develops integrated weed management strategies to combat herbicide resistance in row crops and works with farmers to implement best management practices.

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Laura Shannon

Associate Professor, Horticultural Science

Shannon uses genetics and breeding to develop more resilient and high-yielding potato varieties for Minnesota and teaches courses in genetics and breeding.

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Bailey Tangen

Extension educator, Water Resources & Soil Health

Tangen delivers research-based education that increases soil literacy, improves soil health and water quality, boosts farm profitability, and supports resilient agricultural communities

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Jon Trappe

Extension educator, Horticulture, Turf & Urban Greenspace

Trappe educates homeowners and professionals to maintain or improve turf conditions with fewer resources and shares low-input lawn management strategies with the general public to enhance urban and roadside environmental health.

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Pedro Urriola

Assistant Professor, Animal Science

Urriola evaluates alternative feed ingredients and precision nutritional strategies to enhance swine growth, reduce the burden of diseases, and upcycle nutrients to improve sustainability.

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Kimberly VanderWaal

Associate Professor, Veterinary Population Medicine

VanderWaal develops informatic tools to track and predict the spread of infectious diseases across the swine industry, with a focus on the PRRS virus.

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Angela Varnum

Extension Livestock Veterinarian

Varnum provides statewide education about beef, dairy, goat, and sheep health and welfare for producers and veterinarians.

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Contact information

Melissa Wilson

Associate Professor and Extension Specialist

Wilson evaluates manure handling techniques and studies manure nutrient cycling to increase awareness and adoption of best practices and technologies that benefit farmers and reduce water quality impacts.

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Madeline Wimmer

Extension educator, Food Systems - Fruit Production

Wimmer works with fruit growers throughout Minnesota to help growers succeed in specialty crop markets and implement sustainable management practices.

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