We Measure The World

Kai-Julian Hendler is a geotechnical consulting engineer at Boley Geotechnik in Munich, Germany. He holds a master’s degree in Civil Engineering, with a specialization in geotechnical engineering from the University of Lisbon. Over the past 8 years working at Boley Geotechnik, he has been a site engineer on port construction projects in South Africa, Guinea, and Australia. In his current role, he focuses on the geotechnical challenges of infrastructure projects for railways, metros, and roads.

Christoph Verschaffel-Drefke is a Geotechnical Engineering and Hydrology Coordinator for Transnet BW, a transmission systems operator in Germany. After getting his degree in Geoscience Engineering, he worked on several research projects based around the heat dissipation of underground cables. During his 6 years working at TransnetBW, he has overseen projects relating to thermal soil investigation, thermal dimensioning, bedding materials of cables, and heat emissions.

As a third-generation builder, Bryce Wuori has always been passionate about construction. To further this passion, he studied Construction Engineering at North Dakota State University and earned a Master of Project Management from the University of Mary. As the CEO and co-founder of Pavewise, Bryce believes that technology is key to the future success of the pavement and construction industry.

Lauren is a PhD candidate at Idaho State University focusing on plant physiological ecology. She received her bachelor’s and master’s in biological sciences from Cal Poly Pomona. She was a 2022, recipient of meters G.A. Harris Award. Her research has focused on long-term water storage in trees and its importance for whole tree water relations at both tree and ecosystem scales.

Dr. Matt Yost is an associate professor, associate department head, and agroclimate extension specialist at Utah State University. He obtained his PhD in applied Plant Science at the University of Minnesota, after which he spent several years doing post-doctoral research in Minnesota and Missouri. His research and extension efforts focus on water optimization in agriculture, soil health, precision agriculture, and adaptive nutrient management. Matt is also currently serving as director of USU crops and presiding Chair of the agronomic production systems section of the American Society of Agronomy.

Alex received his bachelors in Mathematics & Astrophysics from Oberlin College in 2018. He is currently a Hydrologic Science PhD candidate in the University of Wyoming Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory. Alex’s research focuses on modeling and measuring the relationship between ecosystem-scale processes and plant physiology, especially as they relate to land management and disturbance. Alex was a 2021 G.A. Harris Fellowship recipient.

Cecilia earned her bachelor’s degree in agronomic engineering from the University of Passo Fundo in Brazil. Cecilia was a recipient of the 2022 G.A. Harris Fellowship sponsored by METER Group. She is currently a PhD candidate in horticultural sciences at the University of Florida, where her focus is on grafted blueberry physiology and production. Her research centers on developing production systems that enhance climate resilience in blueberry crops to address critical global agricultural challenges.

Katie completed her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Technology at Colorado Mesa University, where she focused her studies on water quality and conservation. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Environmental Science at Brigham Young University. After that, she hopes to work in the industry for a few years before continuing to her PhD.

Dr. Kathleen (Kate) Smits is a professor at Southern Methodist University’s Lyles School of Engineering and the Solomon Professor for global development. Prior to SMU, she was a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and associate professor at the Colorado School of Mines and the US Air Force Academy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the US Air Force Academy, master’s in Civil Engineering from the University at Texas Austin, and a doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. She served as a civil and environmental engineering project manager and officer in the US Air Force.

Stephen is a professor in the department of geology at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. He obtained his bachelors in geology and earth science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his PhD in geology from North Carolina State University. He teaches classes in structural geology, geomorphology, and field geology, and his research projects have focused mostly on tropical landslides and landscape evolution, with the funding of such organizations as the NSF, USGS, USDA-NRCS, and NOAA.

Sara received her masters in soils and geochemistry from UC Davis, and her doctorate in engineering sciences from La Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile. She is currently assistant professor at that same university, where she teaches courses in environmental biophysics and statistical methods, and soon, geology and soil sciences and soil conservation. Her research centers around lab and field studies related to soil science and environmental studies, with specific focus on soil physics. Her recent interest has been to understand urban soil ecosystem services.