MEMBERS

The success of the Soil Health & Agroecological Living Lab is driven by the talent, dedication, and collaborative spirit of our members. We are a multidisciplinary group of passionate scientists, students, and staff committed to agroecological living and improving the well-being of farmers and vitality of rural communities across Wisconsin and beyond.

Lab Leaders

Dr. Micheal M. Bell

Philip David Lowe Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology

Michael Bell is the Philip David Lowe and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the Department of Community & Environmental Sociology, as well as a faculty associate in Environmental Studies, Religious Studies, and Agroecology. Bell is the author or editor of eleven books, three of which have won national awards, with a 12th book in press. His most recent books are City of the Good: Nature, Religion, and the Ancient Search for What Is Right (Princeton, 2018), the Cambridge Handbook of Environmental Sociology (Cambridge, 2020), the 6th edition of Invitation to Environmental Sociology (Sage, 2021), and the 2nd edition of Farming for Us All: Practical Agriculture and the Cultivation of Sustainability (Penn State Press, 2024). His work focuses on environmental sociology, agroecology, and community. He is the co-founder and former chair of Madison’s Agroecology Program.

Dr. Rachel M. Gurney

Faculty Associate, Department of Community & Environmental Sociology

Rachel Gurney is an interdisciplinary sociologist with a BA in journalism, MS in environmental science, and PhD in sociology. Her research explores the intersections of public opinion, policy, and social movements regarding environmental issues. Using a range of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, her work emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. Gurney is dedicated to advancing both academic knowledge and practical solutions to environmental challenges. With over a decade of experience in research, teaching, nonprofit advocacy, and public outreach, she has worked for national and international organizations, contributed to state policy development, and volunteered in wildlife rehabilitation. Gurney regularly engages with policymakers, community organizations, and the public through various outreach initiatives.

Dr. Valerie J. Stull

Faculty Associate, Department of Community & Environmental Sociology; Research Scientist, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment

Valerie Stull is an interdisciplinary environmental health scientist with a BA in English and nutritional science, a master’s degree in public health, and a PhD in environment and resources. Stull has co-led the Livelihood, Agroecology, Nutrition and Development (LAND) Project in South Africa since 2013. Valerie has more than a decade of experience in social and natural science research, international development, nonprofit management, and teaching. She has worked across the globe, including in the Middle East, India, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa, with research support from a national Agriculture Innovation Prize and a Fulbright award to Zambia. Currently, Valerie’s mixed methods research centers on themes related to sustainable food systems and planetary health. A primary objective of her past work has been exploring the potential social, environmental, and health implications of eating and farming edible insects. In 2014, Valerie co-founded a collaborative international research initiative on this topic. Valerie is currently engaged in scholarship seeking to understand the dynamics of farmer decision-making related to soil health in Wisconsin, global health impacts of sustainable diets, and utilizing insects to efficiently recycle food, crop residue, and other waste streams.

Lab Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Marisa Lanker

Research Associate, Department of Community & Environmental Sociology

Marisa Lanker has been working with vegetable and dairy farmers throughout the U.S. and Latin America in various capacities for 10 years. An agroecologist with an emphasis on participatory and community-based work, her research emphasizes using qualitative methods to understand and amplify farmers. In her current role as a postdoctoral researcher leading the Advancing Resilient Farm Workforce Systems Through Participatory Research project, she collaborates with actors across the agricultural sector in an effort to create outcomes that can be applied for real-world impact.