Laura Elizabeth Christianson

Assistant Professor and Faculty Extension Specialist

Dr. Christianson addresses important challenges in water quality by finding new techniques to grow crops in a way that preserves clean water, nutrient-rich soil, and healthy ecosystems. She is an international expert in woodchip bioreactors, helping growers reduce the amount of nitrogen in drainage water from agricultural fields.

Primary Disciplines

Education

  • B.S. Biosystems Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 2005
  • M.S. Biological & Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, 2007
  • Ph. D. Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering (Sustainable Agriculture co-major), Iowa State University, 2011

Academic Positions

  • Research Assistant Professor, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 16 September 2015 - 15 November 2016
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 16 November 2016 - Present

Research Interests

  • Denitrifying bioreactors
  • Agricultural drainage
  • Water quality and nutrient loss reduction