Dr. Grossman is an Assistant Professor in Biological and Sustainable Horticulture in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Grossman comes most recently from a faculty position in the Department of Soil Science at NC State University, where she spent 6 years working in soil fertility management of organic farming systems prior to starting at UMN in June, 2014. She holds an M.S. in Soil Science and Ph.D. in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Minnesota, and was an NSF Post-doctoral Fellow at Cornell University.
Julie’s research broadly explores the ways in which we can better manage plant-soil-microbe relationships in order to enhance soil fertility through microbial processes, with the ultimate goal of developing sustainable food production systems. A central thread that connects much of our work is the examination of winter annual legume cover crops to help maintain landscape diversity and tighten nutrient cycling in agroecosystems.
Julie has a strong interest in soil science and sustainable agriculture education, serving as the past Chair of the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association Steering Council, a national organization supporting the development, application, research, and exchange of best teaching and learning practices in sustainable agriculture. At the University of Minnesota she teaches the capstone course for the new undergraduate Food System major, as well as a course focusing on farm and soil management, using the student organic farm as a living laboratory. She has been a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico, as well as a fellow in the MacArthur Interdisciplinary Program on Global Change, Sustainability and Justice at the University of Minnesota.
