Haley Jean, second year MS student in the Agroecology Lab, was recently recognized for excellence in academic and research performance. Jean was awarded the 2021-2022 University of Maine Samuel L. Boucher Horticultural Education Fund for her work in the School of Food and Agriculture.
As part of her Master’s research, Jean is looking at the effects of different irrigation approaches on yield, crop quality, and leachate in diversified vegetable systems. She is also a key team member in two additional projects. First, Jean is working with collaborators in the U.S. Geological Survey and Environmental Protection Agency to test a novel shallow well design for irrigation use. Second, Jean is working with faculty in the School of Food and Agriculture, Biology and Ecology, and Extension to construct and test a small-scale precipitation simulator.
In all of her efforts, Jean looks at how water use can be optimized in Northeast agriculture. Her work is of increasing importance as climate change poses increasing challenges for agriculture, in the Northeast and around the world.