07 Aug 2017

Dr. Heidi M. Peterson Named Phosphorus Program Director for the International Plant Nutrition Institute


August 7, 2017, Peachtree Corners, GA, USA - Dr. Heidi M. Peterson has been hired as Phosphorus Program Director with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) effective September 5, 2017. Dr. Peterson is filling the directorship previously held by Dr. Tom Bruulsema, who was appointed as IPNI Vice President, Americas and Research, earlier this year.

“Dr. Peterson comes to IPNI with significant leadership, teaching, and research experience surrounding phosphorus stewardship issues,” said Dr. Terry Roberts, IPNI President. “We look forward to the impacts Heidi will have on the Institute’s research and educational missions,” Roberts added.

Dr. Peterson completed her Ph.D. in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (2011) at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. Her Dissertation was titled “Estimating Renewable Water Flux from Landscape Features.” She has a M.Sc. in Agronomy (2003) from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She completed her B.Sc. (2000) in Natural Resources and Environmental Science, at Purdue University.

Most recently and since 2013, Dr. Peterson worked as a Research Scientist for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. She was the lead technical expert on agricultural best management practices (BMPs) needed to address impaired waters issues within the state’s agricultural landscapes. The position gave her oversight over research focusing on cover crop establishment and nutrient crediting, precision conservation, nutrient management, and innovative sub-surface drainage treatment.

Dr. Peterson has also been actively collaborating (since 2013) with phosphorus research scientists participating within tasked working groups of the Phosphorus Sustainability Research Coordination Network (P RCN), centered at Arizona State University. Dr. Peterson has been Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Department of Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota (U of M) since 2014. Previous to these positions, Heidi worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the U of M Department of Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering.

Heidi belongs to the American Society of Agronomy, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and the International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems. She will be based in Stillwater, Minnesota, U.S.A.
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This story and more news from IPNI is available at: http://www.ipni.net/news
IPNI Contacts: Dr. Terry Roberts, IPNI President; Phone: 770.447.0335; E-mail: info@ipni.net; or Gavin Sulewski, IPNI Editor; Phone: 770.825.8080; E-mail: gsulewski@ipni.net