HoD Soil and Environmental Sciences (since 01 January 2026)
Which organisation do you work for?
Lincoln University, New Zealand
A day in the life of…
While I am still actively engaged in soil science research and teaching, most of my time is now dedicated to management of the department which is currently undoing major change due to ongoing financial constraints within the tertiary education and research sectors in New Zealand. I am also privileged to be the current Editor-in-Chief of Soil Use and Management, although most of the work associated with this is done in my own time.
How does your job fit within Soil Science?
See above and below – I have been a soil science academic at Lincoln University for 35 years.
Why is this an interesting area to work in?
My research has been focused on investigating the biogeochemistry of organic carbon and major nutrients in natural and managed ecosystems, with an emphasis on the nature, dynamics and bioavailability of organic and mineral forms of nutrients in the soil-plant system in relation to soil management and land use. Project areas include organic matter and nutrient dynamics in grassland and forest soils, soil chronosequence dynamics, rhizosphere processes and nutrient acquisition, relationships between soil microbial diversity and function, and the nature, and the bioavailability and mobility of phosphorus in terrestrial environments.
Why Soil Science?
I was introduced to soil science during my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Glasgow which I persued in an Honours project on soil chemistry. I then decide to pursue soil science research and moved to new Zealand to do a PhD.
What did you study?
My PhD investigated the impacts of long-term fertiliser inputs on the quantity, nature, and dynamics of soil organic phosphorus in grazed grassland soil.
What has your career path been so far?
After my PhD I worked as an agronomist in a fertiliser research institute in New Zealand before taking up a postdoctoral fellowship on soil phosphorus dynamics at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, after which I returned to New Zealand to my current position at Lincoln University.
What is the best thing about your job?
Undoubtedly being involved in research and being extremely fortunate to have been able to develop and expand my portfolio over time.
What skills, abilities and personal attributes are essential to success in your job/this field?
Connecting and engaging with like-minded people to develop professional-personal relationships – the latter is very important as mutual respect and trust are essential.
What advice would you offer to young people interested in a career in soil science?
It is important to establish, develop, and maintain a specialist “area” of research that really interests and motivates you, and use this to expand into other topics.
Can you recommend other journals, magazines or professional associations which would be helpful for professional development?
Participation in conferences and workshops is an essential component in the development and maintenance of a productive and rewarding research career.
Is there anything else that you would like to share relating to your work in soil science?
I strongly content that peer reviewed publication, although far from perfect, remains the only effective means of truly assessing the intrinsic quality of research.
