Research Mission
We aim to leverage scientific drive and curiosity coupled to unique research skills to contribute to more resilient agricultural systems and ecosystem functions, improved management capabilities, and teaching and scholarship of systems agriculture. To achieve this, we believe it is essential to create integrative knowledge that cross cuts traditional disciplinary-silos and infect students and managers with greater appreciation of the power of the systems thinking approach.
Research Interests
Our primary research interests reside in (a) soil, water, and land conservation issues, especially those related to production agriculture in both crop cultivation and rangeland and grazing environments, and (b) ranch management decision-making and problem solving. Particular attention is given to understanding how biophysical and socio-economic elements feed back on one another to influence management decision-making and ecosystem functions. For specific examples of our work, please see the list of scientific publications here.
Research Philosophy and Approach
First, our focus is on systems thinking and simulation modeling for complex agricultural systems problems not easily or adequately addressed by other means. In our modeling work, we apply system dynamics methodology (and its many subdisciplines or companion methodologies) to evaluate management or policy alternatives related to agricultural, ecological, and natural resource management problems.
Second, our research efforts are dedicated to uncovering and unpacking the causal feedback mechanisms that link management decision-making with the ecological, biological, and agronomic processes embedded in agroecosystems. By focusing on this intersection, we explore how and why complex problems arise and persist despite our best efforts. Our objective is to add data and insight needed to produce more sustainable outcomes.
Finally, we couple systems thinking methodologies with stakeholder engagement and field-level monitoring and assessment data to better understand problems under study by surrounding them with a variety of methodologies that each reveal unique aspects of the problem. By doing so, we leverage the strengths of various approaches and help bridge the disciplines. As a result, we produce both scientific contributions and management case studies which are interdisciplinary by nature.
To get a glimpse of the systems perspective that has changed the way I see and think about the world, take a look at my Research Philosophy Statement here.
