Kirsten Matteson has a PHD in structural mechanics. Currently an assistant professor in the department of Civil Engineering at Montana State University in Bozeman, Kirsten is especially interested in materials with potential for positive global change. Among other projects, she has worked together with MSU students to do research on hempcrete as a novel material, looking at its use in structural engineering applications. Kirsten worked on this project in conjunction with Kirby Hancock (listen to S2/E3 of ZAHP) with partial funding from the Montana Farmer’s Union, experimenting with different mixes and incorporating cement to see what yielded the best results in optimizing the strength of hempcrete as a building material. To hear the results and find out more, listen to our interview!