Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientist Alexandra Kravchenko has been named a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, a professional organization for researchers, students, educators and professionals who are dedicated to advancing the field of soil science.
“I was very excited to be named a SSSA fellow because it is such a competitive and prestigious award,” Kravchenko said. “It is the highest award the Soil Science Society of America bestows on its members.”
The SSSA, founded in 1936, is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, Wis., it provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling and land use. It has more than 6,000 members.
Kravchenko, a professor in the MSU Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, is the co-coordinator of the MSU Statistical Consulting Center in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Her research focuses on understanding soil and plant spatial variability and factors driving it at scales ranging from agricultural landscapes to microaggregates.
As a professor, Kravchenko has taught statistical and geostatistical methods of data analysis to more than 800 students during her tenure at MSU.
“I would like to thank MSU for giving me the opportunity to conduct all of the research and to engage in the teaching that helped me earn this recognition,” she said. “None of my research successes could have been possible without the hard work and contributions of my graduate students and postdocs, or without the support of the colleagues with whom I’ve collaborated over the years; they have been a critical component of my success.”