Glasshoff, Sean

Research Interests: Soil Genesis, mineralogy, micromorphology

About: Sean Glasshoff is a graduate research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Michael Thompson pursuing a master’s degree in Soil Science. He is studying how microscopic analyses can be used to improve pedotransfer functions that predict hydraulic conductivity and water retention curves, and to understand climate-vegetation-soil structure interactions. He is also interested in creating a database of micromorphological features related to dynamic soil properties and understanding the micro-scale patterns across different ecosystems. Sean completed his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a focus in Soil Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to starting his master’s program, he worked at the NRCS Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory (KSSL). He has also collaborated with international partners through the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) to develop and compare laboratory methods. In his free time, Sean enjoys hiking, camping, bird watching and reading.

Severson, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Severson is a graduate research assistant working under the supervision of Fernando Miguez and Amber Anderson. She is pursuing a master’s degree in soil science with a focus on anaerobic digestate, soil carbon dynamics, and soil science education. She fell in love with soil science as an undergraduate at Iowa State on the soil judging team. She is excited to continue to participate with the team as an assistant coach. Outside of her academic work, Elizabeth enjoys swimming, hiking, and embroidery.