The CIAS Network
Director
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DirectorDepartment of Plant Pathology
Our governance committee includes the Director, three faculty, a staff representative and the chair of our citizens advisory council. Each year, our Director is reviewed by this team.
- Erin Silva, Director
- Bill Tracy, Agronomy
- Amaya Atucha, Horticulture
- Chuck Nicholson, Animal and Dairy Science
- John Hendrickson, staff representative
- Joel Kuehnhold, Citizen Advisory Council Chair
Staff
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Administrative Specialist
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Research Scientist
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Research Scientist
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Outreach program coordinator, Farm Viability Specialist
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Food Systems Scientist
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Research Scientist
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Senior Researcher III, Practicing Economic Anthropologist
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Multimedia Producer II
Research Fellows
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Participatory Action Research Scientist
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Research FellowEmeritus Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics | Works with CIAS on dairy grazing economics
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Research FellowMichael Fields Agriculture Institute | Works with CIAS on cover crops and soil health
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Research FellowForever Green Initiative, University of Minnesota | Works with CIAS on dairy policy and market structure
CALS and Extension Associates
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CALS and Extension Associate & Professor, Extension Agriculture Institute
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CALS and Extension Associate, Farm management outreach specialist, SARE
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CALS and Extension Associate, Teaching, Learning, & Tech Mgr & Lecturer, Horticulture
Faculty Associates
Faculty across campus associate with the Center on projects, student research, and with the Citizens Advisory Council.
Adena Rissman
Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
adena.rissman@wisc.edu
Interested in connections among people, policy, ecosystems, and fiber and food production. Teaches Natural Resources Policy and directs the PIE lab: People, Institutions, and Ecosystems.
Minigrant students: Lu (2024), Fochesatto (2021), Kazer (2018)
Adrian Treves
Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies
atreves@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Santiago-Avila (2016)
Alfonso Morales
Chair, Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture
morales1@wisc.edu
Broad research interests in farmers markets, street vendors, food distribution, ecosystem services. CoCreator of farm2facts.org, founder of the Kaufman Lab
Minigrant students: DeMarsh (2021), Cotton (2017), Suerth (2017), Wilson (2016), Dundore (2016)
Amaya Atucha, CIAS governance committee
Department of Horticulture
atucha@wisc.edu
Broad research interest in fruit cropping systems, viticulture, organic fruit production, crop ecophysiology. Wisconsin Fruit website, @WIFruitNews twitter, WFN YouTube Channel.
Andrew Stevens
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
awstevens@wisc.edu
Applied micro-econometrician working on agricultural and food policy throughout the agri-food supply chain.
Bill Tracy
Department of Agronomy
wftracy@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Wilson (2022), Mcluskey (2018), Bugel (2017), Shelton (2014)
Bret Shaw
Department of Life Sciences Communication and Division of Extension
brshaw@wisc.edu
Conducts research and outreach to promote local food systems, including CSAs, farmers markets, fresh produce grown by WI farmers, farm-raised fish and expanding maple syrup production in Wisconsin.
Minigrant student: Nardi (2016)
Charles Nicholson
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
cfnicholson@wisc.edu
Broad research interest in food systems, especially at the interface of economic and biophysical analysis and with stakeholder engagement.
Minigrant student: Lebowitz (2023)
Chris Kucharik
Department of Agronomy
kucharik@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Henegan (2021), Campbell (2019)
Christelle Guedot
Department of Entomology
guedot@wisc.edu
Interested in food systems as they relate to the integration of pest and pollinator management in fruit production.
Minigrant students: Hrycyna (2024), McIntosh (2019)
Claudia Irene Calderon
Department of Horticulture
cicalderon@wisc.edu
Conducts ethnographic work with Indigenous producers in Mesoamerica with a focus on participatory action-research around agroecology, food sovereignty, gender and climate resilience.
Minigrant student: Lewis (2024)
Claudio Gratton
Department of Entomology
cgratton@wisc.edu
Landscape ecology and conservation of insects in agricultural landscapes with emphasis on agroecological approaches, perenniality, and beneficial insects
Minigrant students: Pessereau (2023), Harnsberger (2022), Iuliano (2021), Lowe (2018), Freidrich (2015), Hemberger (2014 and 2017), Pelton (2013)
Corbett Grainger
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
cagrainger@wisc.edu
Environmental and resource economist with interests in climate change, air pollution, environmental and resource policies, and distribution/equity.
Minigrant students: Karwowski (2019), Schreiber (2017), Raynor (2015), Schatzberg (2013)
Craig Thompson
Wisconsin School of Business
craig.thompson@wisc.edu
Curt Meine
Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology (adjunct)
cmeine@wisc.edu
Interdisciplinary interests at the intersection of conservation science, history, and the environmental humanities.
Dale Schoeller
Nutritional Sciences
dschoell@nutrisci.wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Berezowitz (2013)
Daniel Kleinman
Integrated Liberal Studies Program
daniel.kleinman@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Anderson (2015)
Donald Waller
African Studies Program
dmwaller@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Richards (2016), Sommerkamp (2014)
Doug Reinemann
Department of Biological Systems Engineering
djreinem@facstaff.wisc.edu
Research and Extension interests include applications of Integral Ecology as a heuristic framework for understanding the interactions between individuals, groups, and physical ecosystem; and quantitative analysis of sustainability metrics using life cycle assessment methods.
Emily Bick
Department of Entomology
ebick@wisc.edu
Assistant Professor of Precision Pest Ecology and Extension Specialist for field and forage crops at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Bick’s focus on applied agroecology and spatial population biology directly contributes to the CIAS’s goal of fostering transdisciplinary inquiry and supporting a range of research, outreach, and professional development opportunities. Her research in developing tools and strategies for data-driven precision management practices is a clear example of the kind of innovative, practical solutions that the CIAS aims to promote.
Minigrant students: Glynn (2024), Oker (2024), Robbins (2024)
Eve Emshwiller
Department of Botany
emshwiller@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Le (2018), Peterson (2015)
Francisco Arriaga
Department of Soil Science
farriaga@wisc.edu
Heidi Goodrich-Blair
Department of Bacteriology
hgblair@bact.wisc.edu
Holly Gibbs
Department of Geography and Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
hkgibbs@wisc.edu
Land system scientist who conducts policy-relevant research on deforestation in Latin America and cropland expansion in the US. Founder of the Global Land Use and Environment lab (GLUE).
Minigrant student: Gobster (2023)
Irwin Goldman
Department of Horticulture
ilgoldma@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Hanson (2016)
James Crall
Department of Entomology
james.crall@wisc.edu
Research interests in insect behavior and integrative ecology, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, agroecology, pollinator health, and computer vision for ecology.
Minigrant student: Melone (2022)
Jane Collins
Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
jcollins@ssc.wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Wypler (2019), Leslie (2018), Serrano (2018), Hartley (2013)
Janet Silbernagel
Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture
jmsilber@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Pfeiffer (2017)
Jennifer Gaddis
School of Human Ecology
jgaddis@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Hellenbrand (2021), Rana (2021), Richmond, Berezowitz (2015)
Jonathan Patz
Global Health Institute
patz@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Stull (2014), Warsaw (2014)
Julie Dawson
Department of Horticulture
jcdawson2@wisc.edu
Research interests include plant breeding for organic systems, participatory research and extension for farms serving local and regional markets.
Minigrant students: Baker (2022), Carvallo (2021), Schindler (2019), Steussy-Williams (2017), Jessee (2017), Healy (2014)
Kathy Cramer
Department of Political Science
kathy.cramer@wisc.edu
Research interests in public opinion and political behavior, including variations in political understanding across types of place.
Katherine Curtis
Department of Sociology
kcurtis@ssc.wisc.edu
Work is centered in demography and extends to spatial, environmental, rural, and applied demography, and focuses on two central themes: population-environment interactions, most centrally the relationship between demographic, economic, and environmental forces; and spatial and temporal dimensions of social and economic inequality, most centrally historical and local forces perpetuating racial disparities.
Minigrant student: Canfield (2023)
Ken Genskow
Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture
kgenskow@wisc.edu
Interests in environmental planning and policy with an emphasis on water, watersheds, governance, water and agriculture, and collaborative environmental management
Minigrant student: Kniffin (2016)
Kerri Coon
Department of Bacteriology
kerri.coon@wisc.edu
Lab research focuses on insect-microbe interactions and disease vectors, specifically mosquitos and the interplay of the diversity and function of gut microbes on the ability to transmit animal pathogens.
Minigrant students: Amon (2024), Sommer (2023)
Laura Schechter
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
lschechter@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Perng (2014)
Laurie Beth Clark
Department of Art
lbclark@wisc.edu
Research interest in cultural food studies, and artistic practice with food as part of Spatula&Barcode, a social practice arts group that has produced its “Foodways” series on five continents.
Leslie Holland
Department of Plant Pathology
laholland@wisc.edu
Current research and extension program focuses on understanding the etiology of diseases and epidemiology of pathogens destructive to fruit crops in Wisconsin to provide management solutions to growers.
Minigrant students: Huff (2023)
Lisa Naughton
Department of Geography
naughton@geography.wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Winkler-Schor (2021), Rice (2020)
Lucia Gutierrez
Department of Agronomy
gutierrezcha@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Massman (2020)
Mark Renz
Department of Agronomy
mrenz@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Grace (2017), Gurda (2013)
Matt Ruark
Department of Soil Science
mdruark@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Judd (2024), Schauer (2022), Krishnan (2016)
Matthew Turner
Department of Geography
mturner2@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Lawler (2023)
Michael Bell, CIAS director emeritus
Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
michaelbell@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Crider (2020), MacGregor (2020), Blandt (2019), Isidore (2019), Decre (2018), Lanker (2017), Potter-Weight (2017), Reynolds (2017 and 2021), Ugoretz (2015, 2019, and 2021), Morgul (2015)
Michael Peterson
Department of Art
michael.w.peterson@wisc.edu
Research interest in cultural food studies, and artistic practice with food as part of Spatula&Barcode, a social practice arts group that has produced its “Foodways” series on five continents.
Michel Wattiaux, CIAS director emeritus
Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
wattiaux@wisc.edu
Research and instruction on livestock dairy systems, international agricultural and food systems sustainability; Reduction of GHG emissions and holistic assessment of dairy systems through the lenses of agroecology and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). For more, please click the ORCID or Dairy Nutrient links.
Monica White
Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
mmwhite3@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Keeve (2020), Le (2018), Cotton (2017)
Mutlu Ozdogan
Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
ozdogan@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Geygan (2020)
Nan Enstad, CIAS governance committee
Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
nenstad@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Fisher (2024), Lee (2023), Bird (2022)
Nathan Schulfer
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
schulfer@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Mino (2017)
Nesli Akdeniz Onuki
Biological Systems Engineering
nesli@wisc.edu
Research and extension programs focus on controlled environments, including livestock and crop production. Effective management of environmental conditions plays an important role in mitigating environmental impacts and increasing resource utilization.
Minigrant students: Yang (2023), Yi (2023)
Noah Feinstein
Department of Community & Environmental Sociology
Robert E. and Jean F. Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies
nfeinstein@wisc.edu
Peter Lukszys
Wisconsin School of Business
peter.lukszys@wisc.edu
Interests include supply chain disruptions, global logistics, and enterprise IT systems. Teaches course for undergrad and MBA supply chain management majors.
Peter McIntyre
Department of Zoology
pmcintyre@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Stevens (2015)
Randy Jackson
Department of Agronomy
rdjackson@wisc.edu
Research, engagement, and teaching in Grassland Ecology. Exploring how management of agroecosystems (disturbance, diversity, and inputs) affects the ecosystem functions (e.g., C sequestration, nutrient retention, and habitat) supporting critical ecosystem services (e.g., climate stabilization, clean water, and biodiversity. Principal investigator for the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping System Trial (WICST) and Grassland 2.0-An Agroecological Transformation Plan for Perennial Grassland Agriculture in the Upper Midwest.
Minigrant students: Ncwadi (2022), Becker (2020), Bembeneck (2019), Landis (2019), Dirks (2018)
Randy Stoecker
Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
rstoecker@wisc.edu
Broad interests in community organizing, community development, and community-based research that furthers the social justice work of grassroots organizations. Director of the Applied Population Laboratory.
Minigrant student: Ross (2013)
Rick Lankau
Department of Plant Pathology
lankau@wisc.edu
Minigrant student: Hayden (2020)
Russell L. Groves, CIAS director emeritus
Department of Entomology
rgroves@wisc.edu
Research interests broadly focused on integrated pest management in vegetables across all farm scales.
Minigrant students: Terris (2024), Lowe (2018), Zhang (2014)
Sam Dennis
Department of Landscape Architecture
sfdennisjr@wisc.edu
Shawn Steffan
Department of Entomology
steffan@entomology.wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Huff (2023), Eisner (2017), Chavez (2016)
Steve Ventura
Nelson Institute and Soil Science
sventura@wisc.edu
Minigrant students: Lierl (2018), Imhoff (2016), Galleguillo (2015), Keeley (2015)
Thea Whitman
Department of Soil Science
twhitman@wisc.edu
Research interests in soil biogeochemistry, microbial ecology, and climate change
Valentin Picasso-Risso
Department of Agronomy
picassorisso@wisc.edu
Interested in transdisciplinary approaches to perennialization and diversification of agroecosystems to increase resilience to climate change using forages and perennial grains in the US and abroad.
Minigrant students: Shoenberger (2024), Shoenberger (2023), Cartoni (2020), Favre (2019)
Warren Porter
Department of Integrative Biology
wpporter@wisc.edu
Research interests broadly focused on 1) Low-level concentrations of pesticides and their mixtures and their impacts on nervous, endocrine, immune and epigenetic effects, especially at environmentally relevant concentrations. 2) Climate change impacts on animals and its effects on their ability to grow, reproduce, especially lately on agricultural animals that produce products for human consumption.
Minigrant student: Selen (2014)
Yiqun Weng
Department of Horticulture
Yiqun.weng@wisc.edu
Research interests in cucumber genetics and breeding.
Minigrant student: Wang (2017)
Zhou Zhang
Biological Systems Engineering
zzhang347@wisc.edu
- Ken Albrecht, Agronomy
- Brad Barham, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Larry Binning, Horticulture
- Richard Bishop, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Bill Bland, Soils
- Steve Born, Urban and Regional Planning
- Robert Brush, Forestry (UWSP)
- Larry Bundy (deceased), Soils
- Robert Butler
- Frederick Buttel (deceased), Community and Environmental Sociology
- Gerry Campbell, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Mike Casler, Agronomy
- Lin Compton, Continuing Adult and Vocational Education
- Tim Connell, Nutrient and Pest Management Program
- Dennis Cosgrove (deceased), Agronomy
- Ron Crunkilton, Water Resources (UWSP)
- Eileen Cullen, Entomology
- Clive David (deceased), Forestry (UWSP)
- Jerry Doll, Agronomy
- Herman Felstehausen, Landscape Architecture
- Gary Frank, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Jess Gilbert, Community and Environmental Sociology
- Jo Handelsman, Plant Pathology
- Rebecca Harbut, Horticulture
- Robin Harris, Soils
- Brent Hueth, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Doug Jackson-Smith, Community and Environmental Sociology
- Bob Kauffmann, Animal & Dairy Science
- Keith Kelling, Soils
- Jack Kloppenberg, Community and Environmental Sociology
- Joe Lauer, Agronomy
- Patty Loew, Life Sciences Communication
- Dan Mahr, Entomology
- Cathy Middlecamp, Office of Sustainability
- Jim Nienhuis, Horticulture
- Pete Nowak, Community and Environmental Sociology
- Garrett O’Keefe, Life Sciences Communication
- Ed Oplinger, Agronomy
- Jennifer Parke, Plant Pathology
- Sara Patterson, Horticulture
- Donald Peterson (deceased), Community and Environmental Sociology
- Josh Posner (deceased), Agronomy
- Mark Powell, Soils
- Ken Raffa, Entomology
- Teryl Roper, Horticulture
- Dan Schaefer, Animal & Dairy Science
- Terry Smith, Animal & Dairy Science
- Sara Steele, Continuing Adult and Vocational Education
- Walt Stevenson, Plant Pathology
- Dave Stoltenberg, Agronomy
- Dan Undersander, Agronomy
- Eugene Wilkening (deceased), Community and Environmental Sociology
- Jeff Wyman (deceased), Entomology
- Lydia Zepeda, School of Human Ecology
- John Harrington, Agroecology, Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, Gaylord Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies
Benefits of associating with the Center include invitations to our events, collaboration and networking opportunities, and graduate students eligibility for the CIAS mini-grant program. While there are no formal requirements for Associates, they collaborate on projects, attend Citizens Advisory Council meetings, and serve as reviewers for our publications.
If you are interested in being a CIAS Associate, please email your CV and a few paragraphs explaining your thoughts on how you might collaborate with CIAS to Erin Silva, CIAS director: emsilva@wisc.edu.
Citizens Advisory Council
From its inception, CIAS faculty and staff work with a Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) that provides guidance and input on CIAS programs. The CAC brings the perspectives and experiences of small- and mid-size farmers and their strategic partners from different parts of Wisconsin to the University and builds long-term relationships and trust. Current CAC members are listed below. Many past CAC members continue to provide leadership on sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Past and current members of the CIAS Citizens Advisory Council. Front row: Michelle Miller, Diane Kaufmann, Deirdre Birmingham, Clare Hintz, Andy Gehl, Bob Wills. Back Row: Curt Rohland, Tom Lutsey, Rick Adamski, Tom Ferguson, Mark Eslinger. Photo 2014.
Joel Kuehnhold – Council Chair
Joel Kuehnhold owns Lonely Oak Farm near Milladore, WI. His highly diversified farm is in the process of becoming certified organic. Over 100 head of sheep and a small herd of beef animals are rotationally grazed on 80 acres. His operation includes feeder pigs, 300 laying hens and two acres of vegetables. The farm’s unique location within a wildlife area encourages management techniques that work in harmony with nature. Joel has built an on-farm certified kitchen where produce from the vegetable fields is processed and sold under the farm’s label. Joel was the agricultural education instructor at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids, where he emphasized the importance of practicing sustainability in agriculture. His classes were nationally recognized for their involvement in farm to school initiatives.
Kat Becker
Kat owns and operates Cattail Organics farm, which grows and markets fresh vegetables and mushrooms through both wholesale channels and CSA. Kat holds an M.S. in Rural Sociology from UW-Madison. cattailorganics.com
Dan Cornelius
Dan Cornelius, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, provides technical assistance to American Indian Tribes and Native producers. He also grows Indigenous corn, beans, and squash, as well as harvesting wild rice and ranching in his free time. iacgreatlakes.com
Andy Diercks
Andy is a fourth generation potato grower in Coloma, located 60 miles north of Madison. With his father, Steve they operate Coloma Farms, Inc., a 2,700 acre potato and grain farm. Both are very active within the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and serve on several committees related to marketing, research, and government relations. Coloma Farms and the WPVGA work pro-actively with researchers and leadership within the UW system to address issues in the vegetable industry. Andy received a BS from UW-Madison in Agricultural Engineering and currently serves on the DATCP board.
Andy Gehl
Andy is a 4th generation food manufacturer. Established in 1896, Gehl Guernsey Farms (Gehl Foods) evolved from a regional dairy to a national aseptic manufacturer and co-packer with $250 million in annual sales. Andy gave up the position of president in 2011 to focus on healthier opportunities. Andy’s new company, Contract Comestibles, is focused on small batch manufacturing of sauces and dressings. Contract Comestibles is certified FDA, USDA and organic and regularly works with farmers and entrepreneurs looking to expand into the retail trade. Andy remains on the board of Gehl Foods in addition to holding a seat on the Leadership Council for Food and Beverage Wisconsin. www.contractcomestibles.com
Clara Hedrich
Clara taught high school agriculture for 39 years. Her family started milking dairy goats and shipping milk in 1996, and has since built a vertically integrated agricultural enterprise. Four of her five children work in this family business. In addition to milking 800 dairy goats, they run a creamery where about 35 different varieties of cheese and yogurt are prepared on site, a retail store with locally sourced products, and a café featuring locally sourced food prepared in house. They are gearing up to bottle their milk in house. Additionally, they sell caramels made from the butter and cream, goat meat, and hand soap, liquid soap and lotion made with their goat milk. www.laclarefamilycreamery.com/
Clare Hintz
Clare farms in northern Wisconsin, near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. She runs a winter CSA featuring fresh greens and storage crops, plus treats like apple butter and apple cider. She specializes in perennial fruits and nuts as well, and she has a small market garden featuring heirloom vegetable varieties. She also raises laying hens. She manages her farm following permaculture principles and organic standards. www.elsewherefarm.com
Kevin Kiehnau
Kevin started dairy farming in 1979, doubled the size of the farm in 1985, made the switch to rotational grazing in 1992, certified organic in 1994 and started shipping organic milk in 1995. In 2005 he sold the dairy herd and started to raise organic beef, cash crop and work for CROPP Co-op (Organic Valley) part time. Kevin took a full time position with CROPP in 2008 and sold the farm in 2012 after becoming a division manager for the co-op. Kevin has served on the Board of Directors for Equity Livestock and the Dairy Executive Committee for Organic Valley, and has served on many other committees with in those organizations. Kevin is currently on the advisory committee for the organic program at NWTC Green Bay. He believes that helping organic farmers become better managers and helping young people become farmers are two ways we can protect the rural infrastructure and the environment, and put people back on the land. www.farmers.coop
Scott Mericka
Scott Mericka is a first-generation dairyman. He and his wife Liana bought Uplands Cheese Company and Grass Dairy in 2014 with business partners Andy and Caitlin Hatch. Together, they run a pasture-based dairy located in rural Dodgeville. They milk 200 crossbred cows in a closed herd on 600 acres of owned and rented properties. They grow a variety of crops from forage sorghum, corn, forage brassicas, oats and peas, and grass-legume hay. Their diverse perennial pasture is the farm’s centerpiece, and Uplands Cheese Company adds value to the high-quality milk their cows produce. www.uplandscheese.com
Laura Paine
Laura Paine and her husband raise grass-fed beef on their 82-acre farm near Columbus, WI. Laura is an agriculture educator, having held a number of grazing education, research and market development positions in Wisconsin over the last 20+ years. She spent eight years as Grazing and Organic Agriculture Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, assisting producers in developing and marketing organic and grass-fed products. She has also done grazing research and education at the University of Wisconsin and worked for seven years as an Extension agent. She worked for Southwest Badger RC&D as a grazing broker, bringing together non-farming landowners with livestock producers for pasture leasing partnerships. Laura Paine currently serves as the outreach coordinator of the Grasslands 2.0 project, a UW-Madison led effort which seeks to reshape Midwestern agriculture as a perennial, livestock-integrated, grazing-based system in the image of the original native prairies.
Jay Retzer
Jay and his wife Heidi farm 520 acres of grain and alfalfa near Fond du Lac. In 2018, they opened Ledgerock Distillery on their farm to add value to the grain they produce. They currently make vodka, gin and whiskey from their corn and wheat. They also grow alfalfa and corn silage for nearby dairies. Jay graduated from UW-River Falls in 1992 with a BS in Agronomy. He worked as a farm manager, sales agronomist, and agricultural loan officer, and is now a dairy lending specialist at Compeer Financial.
Tony Schultz
Tony owns Stoney Acres Farm, a third-generation, 120-acre, highly diversified USDA certified organic operation located in Marathon County. He runs a CSA operation and market garden, produces maple syrup, and rotationally grazes and direct markets beef, pasture raised pork and pastured chicken. Tony holds a B.S. in Education from UW-Madison.
Former CIAS Staff
CIAS former directors (right to left) Mike Bell, Rick Klemme with Citizen Advisory Chairs Bob Wills, Diane Kaufmann, Rick Adamski. Photo 2014.
Michel Wattiaux, Department of Animal and Dairy Science (interim)
Michael Bell, Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
Shared leadership team:
- Jack Kloppenberg, Department of Community and Environmental Sociology,
- Russ Groves, Department of Entomology,
- Daniel Kleinman, Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
Michelle Miller, CIAS staff (interim)
Brent McCown, Department of Horticulture
Doug Maxwell, Department of Plant Pathology (interim)
Lydia Zepeda, School of Human Ecology
George “Steve” Stevenson, CIAS staff (interim)
Richard Klemme, founding director, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
Many academic and university staff have served at CIAS since 1989. We also include our staff from our affiliated unit and office mates, the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies.
Senior staff, most of whom served for ten years or more
- Sandy Bennett
- Nancy Carlisle
- Cris Carusi
- Dick Cates
- Michele Gale-Sinex
- Trish Haza
- Doug Jackson-Smith
- Marcy Ostrom
- Vanessa Herald
- Kathy Martin-Taylor
- Ruth McNair
- Steve Stevenson
- Kari Strauss
- Jen Taylor
- Selma Troyanoski
Project staff, some of whom served for over ten years
- Nadia Alber
- Elizabeth Bird
- Brianne Boettcher
- Lori Compas
- Lindsey Day Farnsworth
- Betsy Didrickson
- Kathleen Duffy
- Daniella Echeverria
- Brianna Fiene
- Jacob Grace
- Kat Griffith
- Lael Grigg
- Linda Hart
- Jane Kleven
- Jessica Kozlowski
- My LinhDo
- Sarah Lloyd
- Kelly Maynard
- Steve Neary
- Pam Porter
- Anne-Marie Puryear
- Matt Raboin
- Gregg Sanford
- Don Schuster
- Erin Silva
- Rick Strickland
- Sara Tedeschi
- Camilla Vargas
- Doug Wubben
CIAS Student Partnerships
Student Employees
There are no graduate students working with CIAS at this time.
Jessie Zweifler, technology assistant
- Cathryn Herlihey
- Dante Mauriciao Pizarro Paz
- Noah Bloedorn
- Pablo Garcia
- Abby Augarten
- Kate Wells
- Emily Azevedo-Casey
- Samuel Pratch
- Eric Batilla
- Kat Becker
- KelliAnn Blazek
- Brienne Boettcher
- Rachel Boothby
- Ed Brick
- Laura Bru
- Heidi Busse
- Sheri Butterfield-Young
- Rebecca Claypool
- Jessie Conaway
- Lindsey Day-Farnsworth
- Paul Dietmann
- Lisa DiPietro
- Daniella Echeverria
- Richard Gaillard
- Lael Grigg
- Anders Gurda
- Jacki Hartley
- Neva Hassanein
- Lynne Haynor
- John Hendrickson
- Caitlin Henning
- Mary Hobbs
- James Hughes
- Brittney Isidore
- Sarah Janes
- Tomas Jenson
- Doug Johnson
- Rebecca Jolley
- Jane Kleven
- Rosa Kozub
- Chad Kruger
- Marisa Lanker
- Anna Lee
- Margie Lempert
- Sarah Lloyd
- Alexandra Lyon
- Matt Mariola
- Alex McCullough
- Amanda McMillan Lequieu
- Sara Mills
- Ginny Moore
- Jessie Moths
- Rachel Murray
- David Nelson
- Christine Nieman
- Cherrie Nolden
- Marcy Ostrom
- Janet Parker
- Emma Pelton
- Kathryn Pereira
- Leah Potter-Weight
- Samuel Pratsch
- Anna-Marie Puryear
- Matt Raboin
- Bimal Raj Bhandary
- Jennifer Raynor
- Stephanie Rittmann
- Doug Romig
- Madeline Schatzberg
- Carrie Sedlak
- Mark Sieffert
- CeCe Sieffert
- Lihlani Skipper
- Natasha Smith
- Laura Stauffer
- Kaelyn Stiles
- Stacey Swearingen
- Jim Teal
- Christine Vatovec
- Kase Wheatley
- Brady Williams
- Spencer Wood
If you worked for or volunteered at CIAS and are not listed here, please contact us!
Raven Hall, Alyx Korth, Peter Werts, Brandon Joe Forseth, Sarah Jane Dougherty, Eleanor Voigt, Aiden Kraus.
If you worked for CIAS and are not listed here, please contact us!
Summer Research Minigrant Awardees
Early in the spring semester, CIAS calls for proposals from graduate students to support their cutting edge summer research. These students go on to take leadership positions in sustainable agriculture and food systems work.
Summer Research Minigrants
F.H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture
A student organization working to promote sustainable agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. FH King students hire students to run a market-type garden and distribute fresh produce to other students every growing season. They also organize workshops on topics of interest.
F.H. King Students for Sustainable AgricultureAgroecology M.S. at UW-Madison
The Masters program trains students to research and engage with agricultural systems in a broader environmental and socio-economic context.
Agroecology M.S. at UW-Madison