Carolina Córdova

Carolina Córdova

  • Contact Information
  • My Story
  • Publications
  • Background
  • Interests
  • Advising
  • Courses Taught

Contact Information

TitleSoil Health Scientist
Faculty RankAssistant Professor
Address165 Keim Hall
1825 North 25th Street
Lincoln NE
68583–0915

East Campus
Phone
  • office: 402-472-6292
E-mailcarolina.cordova@unl.edu
VitaeDownload file

 

Contact Preference

By phone, and email

My Story

Hi, I am Caro Cordova, an agroecologist who specializes in soil health and ecosystem processes, with experience working in the United States and Latin America. Recently moved from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains to work for and with Nebraska farmers. Teaming up with a diverse group of researchers, stakeholders, and practitioners to build resilient farms and improve Nebraska soil health.

Currently, I am an Assistant Professor and Soil Health Specialist at the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an active member of the Long-term Agroecosystems Research Network (ARS-USDA).

My research/extension work aims to conceptually and experimentally unite soil health and the sustainable intensification of agriculture while studying mechanisms to increase carbon sequestration and reduce farmer reliance on synthetic fertilizers. I strive to integrate agroecological principles, biogeochemistry, and modeling in my research and teaching to understand soil-plant-atmosphere interactions in important agricultural settings across temporal and spatial scales. Ag settings range from low-input and high diversity (e.g., forest, perennial grasses) to contrasting field cropping systems (e.g., cash crops).

I am also keenly interested in culture, inclusion, and diversity in the academic work environment. I do believe that soil science is another type of art that speaks through plants.

Like you, I am deeply concerned about climate change, and environmental and social justice. All Spring semesters, I teach Agroecology (PLAS/NRES 435, AGRO/NRES 835), and sometime in the future, I will teach another cross-listed class that revolves around Soil Health (TBD).

Selected Publications

Freidenreich, A., Schmer, M. R., Khorchani, M., Birru, G., Jin, V. L., Awada, T., Drijber, R. A., Suyker, A., Córdova, S. C., Smith, T., Kettler, T., Christofferson, S., Sun, X., & Li, L. (2024). The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at Platte River/High Plains Aquifer. Journal of Environmental Quality, 53, 939–947. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20648Online
Eaton, W. M., Burnham, M., Robertson, T., Arbuckle, J. G., Brasier, K. J., Burbach, M. (2022). Advancing the scholarship and practice of stakeholder engagement in working landscapes: A co-produced research agenda. Socio-Ecological Practice Research, 4(4), 283-304.Online
Ciampitti, I.A., de Borja Reis, A.F., Córdova, S.C., Castellano, M.J., Archontoulis, S.V., Correndo, A., Antunes De Almeida, L.F., Moro Rosso, L., 2021. Revisiting biological nitrogen fixation dynamics in soybean. Frontiers Plant Science 12:727021 Online
Mosier, S., Córdova, S.C., Robertson, G.P. 2021. Restoring Soil Fertility on Degraded Lands to Meet Food, Fuel, and Climate Security Needs via Perennialization. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 5:706142Online
Archontoulis, S.V., Castellano, M.J., Córdova, S. C., et al., 2020. Predicting Crop Yields and Soil-Plant Nitrogen Dynamics in the US Corn Belt. Crop Science 60(2): 721-738Online
Córdova, S.C, Licht, M., Castellano, M.J., Archontoulis, S. V. 2020. Soybean profitability and yield component response to nitrogen fertilizer in Iowa. Agrosystems, Geosciences and Environment 3(1):1-16 Online
Córdova, S.C., Castellano, M.J., Dietzel, R., Licht, M.L., Togliatti, K., Martinez-Feria, R., Archontoulis, S.V. 2019. Soybean nitrogen fixation dynamics in Iowa, USA. Field Crops 236: 165-176Online
Córdova, S.C., Olk, D., Dietzel, R., Muller, K., Archontoulis, S.V., Castellano, M.J. 2018. Plant litter quality affects the accumulation rate, composition, and stability of mineral-associated soil organic matter. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 125: 115-124Online

Background

Education

DegreeMajorInstitutionYear Awarded
Doctorate of PhilosophySoil ScienceIowa State University2018
Bachelor of EngineeringAgro-ndustryTecnica del Norte University2010

 

Affiliations

 

Awards

TitleAwarded byYear Awarded
LTAR Early Career Award Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network2023
Assessing a suite of indicators to predict soil carbon trajectories in agricultural systems Environmental Defense Fund2022
Women's and Diversity Grant Project Department of Diversity and Inclusion, Iowa State University 2017

 

Professional Organizations

NamePosition
Agronomy Society of America (ASA)Leader of the Bioenergy Systems Community (2022) and Vice-leader of the same community (2021)
Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)Poster judge (2019)
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)Session moderator, poster judge, oral sessions judge (2022, 2020, 2019, 2018)

 

Websites

 

SNR Program Areas

  • Environmental Science

Areas of Interest/Expertise

  • Soil health
  • Sustainable intensification of agriculture
  • Soil carbon sequestration
  • Carbon farming and market
  • Resilient agroecosystems
  • Soil-plant-atmosphere interactions
  • Low-input and high-diversity systems (Perennial crops {e..g., switchgrass, big bluestem grass, native prairies, CRP}; Energy sorghum; Short-cycle trees {e.g., poplars})

Advising

Graduate Programs

Master of Applied Science

Master of Science in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

    Doctorate of Philosophy in Natural Resource Sciences
    including specializations in

      Courses Taught

      Course NumberCourse TitleFall Even YearsFall Odd YearsSpring Even YearsSpring Odd YearsSummer SessionCross Listing
      NRES 255Soil Health and EnvironmentXXSOIL 255
      NRES 299Soil Health and EnvironmentXX
      NRES 435/835AgroecologyXXAGRO/Hort 435/835