We are excited to announce two new ASAP Scholars and can’t wait to see what they accomplish!
Jaeyoung Han is a PhD student working with Dr. Glen Hartman. They are interested in the occurrence of nematodes i
n organic soybean fields in the state of Illinois. Plant parasitic nematodes, especially soybean cyst nematode, damage soybean cultivation throughout the United States, while free-living nematodes are used as a measure of healthy soil. Jay’s research objectives are to (1) evaluate nematode populations in organic soybean fields, (2) track changes of nematode populations in accordance with application of organic amendments on organic soybean fields, and (3) conduct a greenhouse evaluation to investigate the natural suppressiveness of organic field soil in terms of control of plant pathogenic nematodes.
Sarah Brown is a second year M.S. student working on synthesizing the global evidence for the impacts of agroforestry on agricultural productivity, ecosystem services, and human-wellbeing. Her advisor is Dr. Dan Miller. Her research goal is to engage with farmers, researchers, and institutions to help inform decision-making and shape programs and policies to help support sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in the U.S. Midwest. She is passionate about creating healthy food systems to improve both the lives of people and the environment.
Next Tuesday at 12:35pm, Jonathan Safran Foer will be doing a “virtual visit” to the Illini Union, in room 404, giving us a chance to ask him questions about his book Eating Animals, a heavy piece of nonfiction. I call it heavy not because its prose is dense (it’s quite pleasant to read) or because it is full of numbers (all figures that are there are necessary, and in good context), but because its subject matter is so difficult to stomach (pun intended). Though the title might imply that it is a straightforward vegetarian manifesto, Foer assures his readers as early as page 13 that it is not. It is something more complicated and less comfortable for both omnivorous and herbivorous humans. 
Fall seems to have snuck up on us while we weren’t looking, but you can feel good about staying indoors (and staying dry) with these thoughtful documentaries to be shown in Champaign-Urbana. 
After interviewing Jack Paxton for my last article, I had the same thought I know many others have had: “Wow. Maybe I should start thinking more about what I throw away. But how?” I went looking for solutions, maybe to tag them onto the end of the article, but felt like they merited their own piece, and so I turned this into a series, which I’ll probably post a few more articles in over the coming months. 
Jack Paxton is a UC Davis alumnus, professor emeritus of UIUC, teacher at UC-San Diego, and looks every bit the part of a respectable academic. Yet he’s trying to get