Our Team

Meet our team and learn about the cool things

we do, inside and outside the lab!

JULIE GROSSMAN, PH.D.

Principal Investigator

Julie (she/her/hers) is passionate about how science can help us better understand plant-soil interactions in agroecological systems, and how we can best co-create that knowledge together with farmers, students, and society. Originally from western Illinois, Julie received her graduate training at the University of Minnesota in Agronomy and Plant Genetics with an emphasis in Agroecology in Spring 2003. She was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, and then a faculty member at North Carolina State University in the Department of Soil Science, prior to joining the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota in 2014. At UMN, Julie is the Organic Program Coordinator for the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences, and an affiliated faculty member of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change.

Location: 454 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: 612-625-8597, [email protected]

REBECCA FUDGE

Ph.D. Student

Rebecca (she/her/hers) is a Ph.D. student in the Plant and Microbial Biology program studying rhizobia ecology of winter annual cover cropping systems. Originally from Southern California, she studied Genetics and Environmental Policy at Northwestern University and is excited to apply her knowledge to sustainable food systems. Outside of lab, Rebecca is most likely to be found tearing through a stack of novels or learning to cross-country ski.

Location: 358 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

EZRA MOSES

Ph.D. Student

Ezra (they/them/theirs) is a Ph.D. student interested in the effects of ecologically-based agricultural practices on soil nutrient cycling. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Ezra studied Environmental Studies, Biology, Food Studies, and Dance at Ursinus College. Ezra has been an N-head since their first day of soils research and they are happy to be continuing their investigation of nitrogen processes in cover cropping systems. Their goal is to better integrate agroecological soils research into farming communities such that farmers gain a sense of agency over their nutrient management strategies and the ways they interact with the environment. In their spare time, Ezra loves to continue their 20-year-long passion for dance, play with their dog, drink too much coffee, and generally be a jack-of-all-trades.

Location: 440 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

HANNAH WALSH

Research Assistant
Hannah (she/her/hers) is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the Plant Science major on the Agroecology track. After graduation, she plans to continue her education in a Soil Science graduate program and hopes to someday have a professional career in research. She loves working in the lab and gets a lot of joy from being a part of the team. In her spare time she enjoys going to her family cabin, working in the garden, and hanging out with her husband and two dogs.

Location: 455 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

ADRIA FERNANDEZ, PH.D.

Research Scientist
Project Lead, Summer Cover Crops Project

Adria (she/her/hers) is a naturalized Minnesotan originally from Wisconsin whose organic career began fifteen years ago as a watermelon picker at Gardens of Eagan Organic Farm in Lakeville, MN. She is now a postdoctoral associate in the Grossman Lab and her research investigates the influences of cover crops and rotational diversity on microbially mediated soil nutrient cycling functions. Adria has collaborated with many organic farmers in on-farm research, and her aim as a researcher is to integrate farmers' expertise and experience into our understanding of the science of agriculture, while supporting practical strategies for reducing bare-soil time in crop rotations. When not in the field, Adria enjoys hiking, biking and cross-country skiing with her family, and moonlights as a competitve bagpiper.

Location: 426 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

ALEX DERUSHA

Ph.D. Student
Alex DeRusha (she/her/hers) is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is a Ph.D. student in the Plant and Microbial Biology program. She completed her undergraduate career in Flagstaff, Arizona at Northern Arizona University with degrees in Biology and Modern Languages with an emphasis in Spanish and a minor in Chemistry. Alex is interested in microbial respiration under abiotic stress and improving soil health metrics with the help of cover crops. Hobbies include playing fetch with her cat, reading poetry, and participating in a thrilling game of bingo.

NAOMY CANDELARIA

M.S. Candidate

Naomy (she/her/hers) is a Puerto Rican who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Puerto Rico, Utuado. She is a CFANS Diversity Fellow in the Applied Plant Science program, where she is working with Drs. Julie Grossman and Mary Rogers. Her research explores ecosystem services provided by summer cover crops, particularly nutrient contribution and beneficial insect attraction. Naomy is passionate about promoting environmental sustainability and giving back to her community. In her future she wishes to use her knowledge to manage an agroecological farm to promote resilience and support Puerto Rican sustainability and food sovereignty. In her free time, Naomy enjoys hiking, going to beaches and rivers, and dancing.

Location: 266 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

BONSA MOHAMED

Researcher 1

Bonsa (he/him/his) graudated from Augsburg University in 2020 with majors in Environmental Studies and Urban Planning. Originally from Oromia in Ethiopia, and raised in Uganda, Bonsa began working in the Grossman Lab as an intern from 2017-18. After a brief break, Bonsa rejoined the lab in 2020 and currently works as a full time research technician. He plans to get more lab experience and then apply to graduate school. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the natural world and spending time with friends and family.

Location: 436 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

SARAH DUBER

Research Assistant

Sarah (she/her/hers) is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the Plant Science major on the Plant Breeding track. She is thrilled to have worked in the Grossman Lab as a research assistant since 2019 and is always excited to see what new research projects are going on in the lab. When not in the lab or studying, she enjoys exploring the cities, running, yoga, and tending to all of her houseplants.

Location: 455 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

MARIE SCHAEDEL

Ph.D. Candidate

Marie (she/her/hers) earned her B.A. in Biology at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. After graduating in 2015, she stayed at Carleton to work as an Educational Associate in her advisor's lab studying bacterial wilt disease in tomato plants. To gain more field experience outside the lab, Marie served as a Peace Corps Environment and Food Security Volunteer in Togo, West Africa. Her principal projects in Togo included supporting girls' education in the sciences as well as introducing rabbit husbandry as income-generating activity among farmers' cooperatives. As a Ph.D. candidate in the Grossman Lab, Marie now works in Rwanda to understand microbial diversity and nutrient cycling in perennial forage systems. Marie is a vegetarian and cross-country skier.

Location: 452 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

GABRIELA HIDROBO

Ph.D. Student

Gabriela (she/her/hers) comes from the Andes of Ecuador where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Agro-industrial Engineering at the National Polytechnic School. She then traveled to Cairns-Australia to complete a Master's program in Natural Resources Management at James Cook University. She is passionate about co-creating organic farming projects that enhance health and resilience in the agroecosystem. Gabriela worked as a full-time lecturer and researcher at her alma mater for five years, teaching Biology, Chemistry, and Crop Science, and participated in research about fungal enzymes. As a Fulbright scholar, she is now interested in investigating the degree to which warm-season cover crop management impacts soil microbial community composition and function. Outside of the lab, Gabriela enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, family farming, cooking, and live concerts.

Location: 328 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

FRECHNO BOKO

Research Assistant
Frechno Boko is from the Republic of Benin in west Africa. He graduated in 2008 from the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) for his Bachelor of Science in environmental science and a Master in Management of tropical Forests and lands in 2014 from the University of Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo. He worked many years as research assistant in soil fertility restoration promoting atmospheric Nitrogen fixation and best agricultural practices. He is particularly interested in the adaptation of agroecosystems to climate change through the promotion of sustainable agriculture. Frechno first joined the Grossman Lab in 2020 as a volunteer but works currently as temporary Research Assistant. He plans to get more experience to apply for a graduate program. When not working, Frechno enjoys spending time with his family and playing soccer.

Location: 455 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

DAVID FOLEY

Research Assistant
David (he/him/his) is from Chicago, Illinois and is currently an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, studying Plant Science on the Horticultural Production track. He hopes to work as an arborist after finishing his degree, so he can climb trees while getting paid to do it, and plans to pursue a graduate degree in the future. David is working with the lab to gain experience in a new area of study, and to get a taste of what research work is really like. In his free time, David likes to read, watch movies, practice his plant identification skills, and add to his already-excessive collection of vinyl records.

Location: 455 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

AVA MCCUNE

Research Assistant

Ava McCune Ava (she/her/hers) is originally from Fairport, NY, and is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities majoring in Plant Science and minoring in Soil Science. She is overjoyed to have the opportunity to work in the Grossman lab, and has loved learning more about soil! In her free time, she likes to garden, cook, and crochet!

Location: 455 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108
Contact: [email protected]

Expand all

Former Graduate Students and Post-Docs

Sharon Perrone, Ph.D., USDA

Vivian Wauters, Ph.D., University of California-Davis

Anne Pfeiffer, M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Miriam Gieske, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Illinois

Charlotte Thurston, M.S., Ann Arbor, MI

Fucui Li, Ph.D., China Agriculture University

Peyton Ginakes, Ph.D., Post-doc, University of Maine

Alex Liebman, M.S., Seattle, WA

Liz Perkus, Boston, MA

Michelle Dobbratz, M.S., Ph.D. Student, University of Minnesota

Dan Raskin, M.S., Technician, University of Minnesota

Thanwalee (JiJY) Sooksa-nguan, Ph.D.

Mary Parr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Berea College

Nape Mothapo, M.S., Ph.D. Candidate, North Carolina State University

Arun Jani, M.S., PhD Candidate, University of Florida

Erika Larsen, Physical Scientist, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Matthew Brown, International Farming Corporation, LLC

Chris Bordeaux, Director of Natural Resource Management, Unique Places, LLC

Brunda De Bacco Lopes

Mohamed Said Ibrahim

Former Lab Technicians, Interns, and Assistants

Tanner Beckstrom

Zala Čok

Mar Horns

Emily Swanson

Sarah Becknell

Justin Panka

Bonsa Mohamed

Siwook Hwang

Victoria Hoeppner

Loren Weber

Yordanose Solomone

Elayna Shapiro

Rachel Brann

Members 2019

Nine members of the Grossman Lab stand together and smile for the camera

Members 2018

Former Graduate Students and Post-Docs

Former Lab Technicians, Interns, and Assistants

Members 2019

Members 2018

Members 2017

Members 2016

Our Team

+ Former Graduate Students and Post-Docs

+ Former Lab Technicians, Interns, and Assistants

Members 2019

Members 2018

Members 2017

Members 2016

Connect With Us

Former Graduate Students and Post-Docs

Former Lab Technicians, Interns, and Assistants