Matthew Helmers, an associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, has been named to the Dean’s Professorship in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
A ceremony honoring Helmers was held on campus Jan. 17.
As the holder of the Dean’s Professorship in Agriculture and Life Sciences, Helmers will enhance his research and extension programs in agriculture and natural resources through technology demonstration and graduate student education.
Helmers has been an ISU faculty member since 2003 and also serves as associate chair for research and extension for the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He conducts research and extension activities to protect and enhance water quality. He works in the area of subsurface drainage from agricultural fields and studies the impact of in-field nutrient management strategies. He educates landowners and stakeholder groups about water resources and soil conservation and provides advice and insight about drainage and water management issues.
He chaired the team of scientists that assessed nitrogen issues for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a statewide science and technology-based framework to assess and reduce nutrients to waterways.
Helmers is a member of several teams and committees around the state working to improve watersheds and drainage systems. He helps manage the Iowa Learning Farms program, which brings attention to the importance of improved water and soil quality through conservation farming practices. He and his colleagues have won several national awards for developing educational materials on water quality and conservation.
Helmers earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Iowa State University, his master’s degree in civil engineering at Virginia Tech and his Ph.D. in agricultural and biological systems engineering at University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Wendy Wintersteen, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, established the Dean’s Professorship to support faculty excellence as part of the Endowed Deanship in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
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