Andrew Margenot, Ph.D.

Dr. Andrew Margenot (he/him) addresses the literal foundation of all cropping systems: soils. He advances how we monitor and manage soils as natural capital. His research team evaluates how human activities can enhance or compromise soil services to human societies, with an emphasis on food security from urban and rural agroecosystems in the U.S. Midwest and East Africa.
More information: Margenot is an Associate Professor of Soil and Biogeochemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With a keen focus on the intricate dynamics of soils, his research delves into the realms of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, soil fertility in East Africa, urban agriculture, phosphorus, and soil organic matter and enzymes. He is dedicated to advancing the understanding of soils as the foundation of cropping systems, and his mission involves not only monitoring and managing soils as natural capital but also assessing the impact of human activities on soil services critical to global food security. Margenot's research has contributed to insights into soil health metrics and spectroscopy applications, and he has also authored chapters in notable books such as "Phosphorus Fertilization and Management in Soils of Sub-Saharan Africa." He was also a recognized U.S. Borlaug Fellow in Global Food Security in 2014. Before joining the University of Illinois faculty, Margenot received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Connecticut College in 2010. He then moved on to complete his Ph.D. in Soils and Biogeochemistry at the University of California, Davis.
Affiliations: Margenot is an associate professor and faculty Extension specialist in the Department of Crop Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is an associate director and founding member of the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center and affiliate faculty in the Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology; and the Center for Digital Agriculture.