The Rhizosphere Dynamics Lab Team
CHRISTINE SPRUNGER, PhD
Principal Investigator
sprunger.29@osu.edu
Dr. Christine Sprunger joined the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University as an Assistant Professor of Soil Science and Rhizosphere Processes in the fall of 2018. Her research focuses on the intersection of agriculture and the environment, where she investigates how climate change impacts crop production, nutrient cycling and rhizosphere dynamics. In addition, much of Christine’s work addresses how crop diversity, perenniality, and reduced tillage contribute to important ecosystem services such as soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen use. Christine also conducts interdisciplinary research with social scientists to understand farmer perceptions of soil health and climate adaptation.
MEREDITH MANN, BA
Lab Manager
Meredith joined the Rhizosphere Dynamics Lab in the beginning of September 2019, after working for The Ohio State University's Soil Fertility Lab since 2017. As lab manager, she oversees lab operations and analyses, coordinates field research trials across Ohio, and facilitates graduate and undergraduate research. Meredith is a northeast Ohio native with a B.A. in Geology from the College of Wooster. She enjoys working with the environment and in her free time can be found hiking, reading, and tending sheep.
TVISHA MARTIN, BS
TVISHA MARTIN, MS
Graduate Student
martin.3325@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Tvisha Martin obtained her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Toledo in May, 2019. Additionally, Tvisha obtained her M.S from The Ohio State University in May 2021 from Dr. Christine Sprunger’s Lab. Her Master’s thesis analyzed the effects of tillage and crop rotation on soil biological health through the quantification of nematode communities. Tvisha has since started her doctoral research in the Rhizosphere Dynamics Lab where her research will aim to understand how nematode communities can serve as soil biological health indicators under induced drought. Additionally, Tvisha’s doctoral research will aim to understand how soil biological health changes over the growing season under systems with a varying management gradient. Her doctoral research will be performed at the Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Restoration Site. Tvisha's research interests include quantifying soil biological health through microbial sequencing and nematode communities, optimizing agricultural management under climate change, and the using quantitative modeling to understand the soil health framework. In her free time, Tvisha enjoys running, hiking, climbing, and reading a good book.
PRABHJOT SINGH, MS
Graduate Student
singh.1374@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Prabhjot (Prabu) Singh graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in June of 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and Biology. Prabhjot joined the Sprunger Lab in the Fall of 2019 and completed her Masters degree in the Environmental Science Graduate Program at OSU in the Summer of 2021. Her research explores both quantitative and qualitative data to understand the existing state of soil health on farms in the Midwest and how farmers may perceive or use biological soil health data to inform their management practices. As she continues with the Sprunger Lab for her Ph.D., Prabu is interested in using interdisciplinary methods to effectively communicate scientific research with broader audiences and further study soil health on-farm. In her free time, Prabu enjoys gardening, running, crocheting, painting, cooking, and spending time with friends and family!
MK KLENKAR, BS
Graduate Student
klenkar.1@buckeyemail.osu.edu
MK Klenkar is a first-year master’s student in Dr. Sprunger’s lab. MK grew up in the Cleveland area and received their bachelor's in environmental science from OSU in 2017.
MK's primary research interests are soil microbes and native plants in natural areas, especially Ohio forests. Most recently they spent a couple of years working for the Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action at the Chicago Botanic Garden. There, MK studied threatened and endangered plants throughout the Cook County Forest Preserves. MK's personal interests include gardening, sewing, burning things in the oven, and bothering their cat Pawpaw.
DANIELLE BUSH
Graduate Student
bush.474@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Danielle Bush is currently a SENR Graduate Student interested in environmental sociology, local food sources, food insecurity, and sustainable policies. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Plant Systems with a specialization in Horticulture at OSU in the winter of 2020. Her research will focus on local food sources, food policies, and urban soil health. One of her goals is to secure a position within the Agricultural Industry that will allow her to make developments that will benefit her community. In her free time, she enjoys music, strategy games, volunteering, and gardening.
JACOB MURRAY
Undergraduate Research Assistant
murray.1044@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Jacob is a third-year undergraduate student at Ohio State studying Ecological Engineering (in FABE) along with a minor in Science and Engineering in the Public Interest. This summer, he is very excited to be helping out with a number of projects, particularly in studying the effects of drought on nitrogen cycling and the soil food web under different management strategies; as well as the abundance of enrichment opportunist nematodes across different ecosystems. Within this, he hopes to contribute to the design of more sustainable agroecosystems under changing climatic conditions. Jacob also loves to spend any time he can outside - especially hiking and biking - or roasting his own coffee.
ALLISON BUNCE
Undergraduate Research Assistant
bunce.25@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Allison is a fourth-year undergraduate student on the OSU Columbus campus. She is majoring in Environment, Economic, Development, Sustainability with a specialization in Community Development in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR). Her research interests include development planning and environmental & natural resource management. This summer, she will be interning with the Sprunger lab to assist with lab work and field work in the Flooding project. In her free time, Allison enjoys movies, video games, being outdoors and hiking.
ABBY REES
REU Undergraduate Research Assistant
arees23@my.whitworth.edu
Abby will be entering into her fourth year of undergrad at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. She's majoring in Environmental Science, and has previous research experience in disturbance ecology. She is the REU for the Sprunger lab this summer (2022), mentored by Tvisha, and she will be studying the effects of prairie strips and differing fertilizer inputs on nematode communities. Abby plans on attending graduate school, where she hopes to expand on her research interests of anthropogenic effects on animal population dynamics. She also enjoys road-tripping, Red Bull, skateboarding, or a combination of the three.
AINSLEY LIGHTCAP
Undergraduate Research Assistant
lightcap.8@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Ainsley is a fourth-year undergraduate at Ohio State studying Environmental Sciences with a specialization in Molecular Sciences. Ainsley plans to attend graduate school where she hopes to study how sustainable agriculture impacts farming communities as well as how regenerative agriculture can cultivate food sovereignty. This year, Ainsley is helping the lab with a few projects, including assisting Tvisha with her research on understanding nematode communities as soil biological health indicators as well as working on a couple of writing projects. In her free time, Ainsley loves to backpack, rock climb, farm, and take her dog on hikes.
RHIZO LAB 2021
From left to right:
Cole Goldman
MK Klenkar
Prabu Singh
Meredith Mann
Dr. Christine Sprunger
Tvisha Martin
Christian Mammana &
Jacob Murray
Former Lab Members
Research Assistants
Nicole Hoekstra, MS
Graduate students
Cole Goldman, BS
Christian Mammana, LTER REU