Ann Bybee-Finley, a second year graduate student at the SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, has been awarded a 2017 Future Leader in Science award from American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA).  Bybee-Finley is one of 18 graduate students receiving the award in recognition of their interest and engagement in science advocacy. Award winners receive a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the annual ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Congressional Visits Day on March 14, where they will meet with their members of Congress and advocate for food, agriculture and natural resources research.

Bybee-Finley works under the direction of Dr. Matthew Ryan in the Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab on improvement of cropping systems resilience for Northeastern dairy producers. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry (2011) and B.A. (2011) in International Development from West Virginia University and her M.S. in Agronomy (2016) from Cornell University.

Bybee-Finley’s research mission is to help farmers find solutions to their agronomic issues.  One of the very well known issues farmers face is climate change; another is the conflict of being the interface of environmental stewardship and subversive agricultural policy.  Dairy farmers are left with limited options when faced with shortages of feed regularly grown on the farm.  One solution is to cull the herd, the other is to import costly grain. Her research in the Sustainable Cropping Systems lab is providing extension agents, crop consultants, and farmers with more information on summer annual forage crops as an alternative to corn or soybean.  This work involves comparison of different combinations of sorghum sudangrass, pearl millet, cowpea, and sunn hemp.  In partnership with farmers, she is studying the potential economic benefits of intercropping systems as well as the effects of agricultural policy on farmer decision-making.

Read More:

• Award announcement from the Tri-Societies
• Cornell’s Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab
• Bybee-Finley web site