The Team — Strickland Lab

Michael Strickland

mstrickland@uidaho.edu

I'm an associate professor at the University of Idaho, father, husband, former Missouri farm boy, and Army Vet. I love to explore the relationship between soil microbial communities and ecosystem processes. Ultimately, I want to understand how this relationship impacts the way we manage soils.

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Vanessa Otero Jiménez

vanessao@uidaho.edu

I’m a Colombian holding a postdoctoral fellow position at Dr. Strickland’s lab. I’m deeply interested in knowing how different soil management strategies can influence an agroecosystem through a holistic approach including microbial communities involved in organic matter degradation, microorganism-microorganism/plant-microorganisms relationship, soil biogeochemistry and climate change. Furthermore, I’m passionate about outdoor activities, hiking, biking, riding a horse, as well as dancing, cooking, watching movies, reading among others.

Peter Goebel

petergoebel@uidaho.edu

I’m a recent graduate from the University of Idaho where I studied ecology and conservation biology as well as French and Spanish. Currently, I’m working as a research assistant in Dr. Strickland’s lab helping the various students with their projects while gaining additional research experience before continuing my studies in graduate school. I have a passion for marine systems but believe that it’s important to study as many fields/topics as possible to become a well-rounded ecologist.

Bronte Sone

sone4469@vandals.uidaho.edu

I received my bachelors in sustainable agriculture from the University of Maine. Currently, I am a PhD candidate in the soil and land resources program. My research focuses on the impacts of cover crop species and functional diversity on soil microbial communities and carbon and nitrogen cycling. The goal of my research is to better understand how agricultural management practices influence soil health. I am passionate about soil microbial ecology, and the link between microbial communities and ecosystem function.

Dan Du

dandu@uidaho.edu

I am a Hoosier transplanted in Idaho to pursue a Ph.D. in Soil and Land Resources. I have broad research interests in ecosystem ecology and services, soil ecology, and science outreach. More specifically, I am interested in the role of soil microbes as a driver of soil organic matter formation and the consequences of anthropogenic activity such as the effect of antibiotic deposition on soil microbial communities and ecosystem processes.

Natalie Cowan

ncowan@uidaho.edu

Natalie is interested in microbial communities and impacts on soil carbon cycling. They are particularly curious about the relevance of microbial carbon storage. Natalie received a BA from Reed College, researching the molecular biology of parasitoid-host interactions. Though they worked for a time in agriculture and education, they eventually returned to academia to explore the global biogeochemical reactor known as soil. Outside of academia, Natalie directs summer camps for international youth and enjoys helping out on local goat farms.

Kameron Richardson * Ph.D. Student

Kameron Richardson

rich0859@vandals.uidaho.edu

I am a North Carolinian currently enrolled in the Environmental Science PhD program. I received my B.S. degree in Biology with a double concentration in Molecular Biology and Botany from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. I grew up on a farm, so healthy soil has always been apart of my life. My research interests lie in the realm of microbial ecology and how environmental disturbances can affect microbial communities and ecosystem functioning.

Connor Daugherty * M.S. Student

Connor Daugherty

daug0957@vandals.uidaho.edu

I am originally from Charlo, MT, having grown up on a small farm there. I graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Maine Maritime Academy in 2019 and am looking to extend my experience in ecology to the soil ecosystem. I am currently pursuing a M.S. in Soil and Water Resources and working as a research assistant on a project centered on describing the potentially synergistic relationships among intercropping, cover cropping, composting and grazing strategies in regenerative agriculture management.

Lab alumni: