Kirsten is a plant-soil scientist with experience in soil biogeochemistry and agricultural sciences, and novel plant and soil spectroscopic techniques. For her PhD, she was mentored by leading researchers at the CSIRO Australia in the field of soil carbon sequestration, where she developed skills in soil physical fractionation and quantification of soil carbon and nitrogen pools to assess short and long-term, agricultural soil management impacts. For the final year of her dissertation, she spent time at the University of Aberdeen, UK with Pete Smiths group where she learned how to apply field and lab-based knowledge to operate process-based models for quantifying soil carbon storage. In her postdoc role at the University of Arizona, she examined soil biogeochemical interactions in arid-alkaline agricultural soils, and has developed considerable theoretical knowledge of SOC-SIC interactions particularly in dryland farming.
Kirsten has a passion for science communication, social justice, and enhancing gender equity in science and agricultural management. Therefore, she wants to work within an interdisciplinary research organization that uses science to influence policy. She sees working with CSANR as the perfect opportunity to start applying her scientific skills towards highly applicable, and persuasive outcomes. “I aspire to develop a career that involves producing advanced, novel science with a real-world application that will enable me to work closely with organizations that prioritize capacity building and policy development to influence global change”