Agriculture experts

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  • Patricia S. Holloway

    Patricia S. Holloway

    October 28, 2022

    Pat Holloway researches subarctic horticultural production, including native plant propagation and cultivation; and wild berry cultivation and management, especially bog blueberries and lingonberries. She is a specialist in peony and cut flower production.

  • Meriam Karlsson

    Meriam Karlsson

    October 28, 2022

    Meriam Karlsson’s research interests include greenhouse, high tunnel and controlled-environment crop production; plant growth in response to light intensity, quality, day length and the use of LEDs.

  • Casey Matney

    Casey Matney

    October 28, 2022

    Casey Matney’s program responsibilities span the spectrum from livestock and range to soils and horticulture. He is the state coordinator for the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and president of the National Association for County Agricultural Agents in Alaska.

  • Heidi Rader

    Heidi Rader

    October 28, 2022

    Heidi Rader is the tribes Extension educator for the Tanana Chiefs Conference region. In addition to teaching hands-on workshops in 30 remote villages in Interior Alaska, she also teaches online courses with a statewide reach.

  • Tobias Schwoerer

    Tobias Schwoerer

    October 28, 2022

    Tobias Schwoerer is an applied economist with expertise in Alaska’s resource management issues, particularly the response to invasive species and the effects of environmental change on the economy.

  • Mingchu Zhang

    Mingchu Zhang

    October 28, 2022

    Mingchu Zhang’s current research includes selection of small grains and canola suitable for Alaska climatic conditions.

  • A portrait of Art Nash Jr.

    Art Nash Jr.

    February 23, 2023

    Nash's outreach and teaching focuses on healthy homes/efficiency, universal design/aging in place, extending greenhouse growing seasons, solar thermal storage efficiency, environmental factors for cellar storage, radon/air quality and mitigation, biomass gasification, biochar, nanogrids, cold weather home building and emergency disaster energy backup.

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a man with a beard wearing a dark zippered jacket

    Rick Lader

    October 28, 2023

    Rick Lader is an expert in regional climate modeling and extreme event analysis in Alaska.

  • Improving food security for Alaskans via livestock production, identifying new and alternative feed ingredients, overlaps between mariculture production and animal agriculture, forage use and nutrient metabolism

    Jim Vinyard

    November 08, 2025

    Improving food security for Alaskans via livestock production, identifying new and alternative feed ingredients, overlaps between mariculture production and animal agriculture, forage use and nutrient metabolism

  • Gannon's research pertains to high latitude food systems and agriculture production including crop and variety selection, agrivoltaics and permafrost agro-ecosystems.

    Glenna Gannon

    November 08, 2025

    Gannon's research pertains to high latitude food systems and agriculture production including crop and variety selection, agrivoltaics and permafrost agro-ecosystems.

  • McKasson is an agent for the Alaska Tribes Extension Program serving the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. She partners with the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Association to promote food sovereignty and help communities grow, cook, safely preserve and eat more food at home. She researches methods and techniques for food production in a windy and foggy climate, travels to the region to work with the communities she serves, teaches in-person and virtual workshops, and provides technical assistance on food-related topics and projects.

    Marisa McKasson

    November 08, 2025

    McKasson is an agent for the Alaska Tribes Extension Program serving the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. She partners with the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Association to promote food sovereignty and help communities grow, cook, safely preserve and eat more food at home. She researches methods and techniques for food production in a windy and foggy climate, travels to the region to work with the communities she serves, teaches in-person and virtual workshops, and provides technical assistance on food-related topics and projects.

  • Gasch leads a research program focused on soil ecology, plant-soil interactions, how soils respond to environmental change and how we can build and maintain healthy soils. The program does field trials, surveys and experiments to learn about the ecology of Alaska's agricultural soils and to evaluate management practices that simultaneously protect the soil and support food production.

    Caley Gasch

    November 08, 2025

    Gasch leads a research program focused on soil ecology, plant-soil interactions, how soils respond to environmental change and how we can build and maintain healthy soils. The program does field trials, surveys and experiments to learn about the ecology of Alaska's agricultural soils and to evaluate management practices that simultaneously protect the soil and support food production.