People

Faculty

Avatar for AMY SCHMIDT, PH.D., P.E.
AMY SCHMIDT, PH.D., P.E.
Professor

Having grown up in rural Iowa, Dr. Schmidt appreciates the agricultural production systems that feed people worldwide and chose her career path to support responsible livestock production by helping farmers adopt research-based practices that optimize agronomic productivity and minimize potential environmental and social risks. Keeping up with two active kids, her husband, and their family dog is her other full-time job! She spends a lot of evenings and weekends cheering on her kids at baseball and softball games, about as much time scrubbing dirt and grass stains out of white baseball pants, and not nearly enough time sleeping.

Avatar for LESLIE JOHNSON
LESLIE JOHNSON
Assoc Exten Educator
I am the Animal Manure Management Extension Educator at the University of Nebraska. My role includes facilitating article development for manure.unl.edu and manure-related articles in other publications. I manage the online manure course and annual manure trainings across the state of Nebraska, as well as other manure programming in the state. I also serve as the webinar coordinator for the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (https://lpelc.org) and am actively involved in the leadership team of the Soil Health Nexus (https://soilhealthnexus.org).

Staff

  1. Avatar for MARA ZELT
    MARA ZELT
    Program Manager, Schmidt Team Biological Systems Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    Chase 107
    Phone
    Work 402-472-1413 On-campus 2-1413
    Email
    mzelt2@unl.edu
  2. Avatar for BETHANY ZELT
    BETHANY ZELT
    Extension Assistant, iAMResponsible Project Biological Systems Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    CHA 216
    Lincoln NE 68583-0726
    Phone
    Work 402-472-0877 On-campus 2-0877
    Email
    bzelt2@unl.edu
  3. Avatar for AMBER VOGEL
    AMBER VOGEL
    Multimedia Graphics Designer Biological Systems Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    CHA 107
    Lincoln NE 68583-0726
    Phone
    Work 402-472-1413 On-campus 2-1413
    Email
    apatterson@unl.edu
  4. Avatar for AGNES KURZHALS
    AGNES KURZHALS
    Communication Associate, UNL Manure Management Team NE Ext Engagement Zone 5 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    57905 866 Rd
    Concord NE 68728-2828
    Phone
    Work 4025843818
    Email
    akurtzhals2@unl.edu

Students

Alumni

Former Graduate Research Assistants 

  • Andrew Ortiz Balsero, MS Biological Systems Engineering, currently employed at University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
  • María José Oviedo Ventura, MS Mechanized Systems Management, currently employed at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Juan Carlos Ramos Tanchez , MS Mechanized Systems Management, currently employed at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Karla Melgar , MS Mechanized Systems Management, currently employed at Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO
  • Agustin Olivo , MS Mechanized Systems Management, currently employed at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Mara Zelt , MS Agricultural and Biological Engineering, currently employed at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
  • Erin (Stevens) Boyles, MS Animal Science, currently employed at Zoetis, Lincoln, NE
  • Linda Schott, PhD. Biological Engineering, Assistant Professor, University of Idaho, Twin Falls, ID
  • Mitch Goedeken, MS Agricultural and Biological Engineering, currently employed at Amec Foster Wheeler, Wichita, KS
  • Scott Speicher, MS Environmental Engineering, currently employed at Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, Lincoln, NE
  • Nicole (Schuster) Leonard, MS Agricultural and Biological Engineering, currently employed at LandMark Implement, Inc, Holdrege, NE

Other Past Lab Members 

  • Maddie Kopplin, (2024) Major: Geography (University of Nebraska-Omaha), Expected Graduation: 2027
  • David Diez Laso, (2023-2024) Major: M.S Modern Languages, Graduation: 2024
  • Saskia Lanwermann, (2022-2024) Major: Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication, Graduation: 2024
  • Hector Palala Martinez, (2022-2024) Major: PhD. Education, Graduation: 2024
  • Olivia Vanderford, (2023) Major: Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication, Expected Graduation: 2027
  • Josh Mansfield, (2023) Major: Environmental Engineering (Kansas State University), Graduation: 2024
  • Aspen Schoenrock, (2022) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2023
  • Izzy Nachtigal, (2022) Major: Environmental Physical Science (Black Hills State University), Graduation: 2023
  • Seth Caines, (2021-2022) Major: Environmental Engineering, Graduation: 2023
  • Jacob Stover, (2021-2022) Major: Agricultural Engineering, Graduation: 2023
  • Andrew Lutt, (2020-2022) Major: Agricultural Engineering, Graduation: 2022
  • Bella Breinig, (2019-2021) Major: Advertising and Public Relations, Graduation: 2021
  • Andrew Ortiz Balsero, (2021) Major: Agro-Industrial Production Engineering (Universidad de La Sabana) , Graduation: 2022
  • Elise Gamble, (2019-2020) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2022
  • Trevor Kalson, (2019-2020) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2022
  • Jake Richardson, (2019-2020) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2020
  • Eric Henning, (2018-2020) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2020
  • Andrea Harris, (2018-2020) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2020
  • Abby Steffen, (2018-2019) Major: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Communication, Graduation: 2019
  • Zach Trout, (2018-2019) Major: Plant Biology, Graduation: 2019
  • Autumn Dunn, (2018) Major: Environmental Restoration, Graduation: 2018
  • Katherine Mundorf, (2017) Major: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Communication, Graduation: 2017
  • Colton Hintz, (2017) Major: Mechanized Systems Management, Graduation: 2018
  • Mara Zelt, (2016-2017) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2017
  • Bethany Brittenham, (2015) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2015
  • Ashley (Schmit) Dierks, (2015-2017) Major: Animal Science, Graduation: 2017
  • Julia Frank, (2015) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2015
  • Troy Nelson, (2015) Major: Biological Systems Engineering, Graduation: 2018
  • Jared Korth, (2014-2016) Major: Mechanized Systems Management, Graduation: 2016
  • Ethan Doyle, (2014) Major: Animal Science, Graduation: 2016