Ferguson College of Agriculture

I am currenty the Grant Program Manager in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and for the South Central Sun Grant Program and the Biobased Products and Energy Center at OSU. I am also teaching at the Environmental Science Undergraduate Program. I am a holder of a B.S. degree in Agriculture from the Visayas State College of Agirculture (now Visayas state University in Leyte, Philippines), M.S. degree in Botany from the University of the Philippines, and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the North Carolina State University.

Research Interests:

Plant Ecophysiology

Dr. Daniel Adamson was raised on a cow-calf ranch in southern Wyoming where he developed his love for agriculture and desire to help producers overcome challenges with practical, tested resources. Dr. Adamson completed his education at the University of Wyoming, where he attained a BS in Agroecology, MS in Agronomy, and PhD in Soil Science. Between his master's and PhD degrees, Dr. Adamson also worked as a Certified Crop Advisor for a regional agricultural co-op in northern Colorado. Dr. Adamson joined the department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Oklahoma State University in fall 2024 as the Extension Specialist for Soil and Water Management and Conservation. His research and extension interests are centered around management impacts on soil health and soil functionality on the farm, ranch, and around the home.  

Dr. Sara Alian is an Teaching Assistant Professor at the department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering at Oklahoma State University. She has over 14 years of experience in geospatial science applications in natural resource management and geospatial science education. Her expertise is in the areas of geospatial sciences, GIS technology, and remote sensing to inform resource management decisions, including land, water, and forest management. She developed a new course entitled "GIS for Water Resources" (BAE 4323/BAE 5323) in response to increasing demand for geospatial analysis skills in the job market and research projects. Th course cover various aspects of geographic information system (GIS) applications in water resources. 

Dr. Alian has worked on interdisciplinary projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Great Lakes Protection Fund, and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to generate new information, geospatial data, and insights for sustainable biofuel feedstock management and production of biofuel feedstocks, to evaluate ecological water stress in the Great Lakes Region, and New Mexico-Texas-Mexico border region. She is currently collaborating on a USGS funded project examining environmental flows in the water scarce region.

Research Interests:

• Applications of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial modeling in natural resources management
• Geospatial science and technology education

I’m an Animal Scientist with an MSc in Genetics and Animal Breeding and a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences (Quantitative Genetics). My research interests include quantitative genetics and its applications in animal breeding. My overarching research interest is understanding the genotype-phenotype map in livestock species using bioinformatics and statistical genetics. I’m interested in better understanding the genetic architecture of economically important traits and applying and developing statistical methods for prediction in the multi-omics era. 

Dr. Hasan Atiyeh is a Professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, Canada, and has broad academic and industrial experience in bioprocess engineering, fermentation, carbon capture, reactor design, hydrogen production, and process scale-up. Dr. Atiyeh has published over 70 journal articles, three book chapters, and delivered 200+ presentations. He holds five U.S. patents and 13 additional applications. His research has received over $5.7 million in funding from agencies including NSF, USDA-NIFA, EPA, Sun Grant, OCAST, NSERC, KACST, and SABIC. He is a senior member of AIChE, and a member of ASABE and ASEE, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada.

Research Interests: Dr. Atiyeh’s research focuses on the development of innovative conversion technologies for the production of fuels and chemicals, supporting key sectors such as energy, biotechnology, food, chemical, and environmental industries. His work emphasizes:

• Bioprocess development for converting gases, sugars, and waste materials into biofuels and biochemicals
• Utilization of novel microorganisms and biocatalysts
• Process modeling, simulation, reactor design, and scale-up
• Carbon capture and utilization
• Water treatment, reuse, and minimizing water use in processing

His research integrates lab experimentation with process modeling to pioneer sustainable solutions. His team is a leader in the development of hybrid gasification–syngas fermentation technologies and other cutting-edge bioconversion processes at OSU, with the goal of advancing the biorefinery industry as a complement to the petroleum-based economy.

Carrie Baker is an assistant professor of agricultural communications at Oklahoma State University in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications, and Leadership. Baker completed her Ph.D. at the University of Florida in agricultural education and communication in May 2025. Baker earned her B.A. from Greenville University in communications and her M.S. from Texas A&M University in agricultural communications. In addition to a variety of industry roles, Baker previously served as an assistant lecturer of agricultural communications and journalism at Texas A&M University and as a marketing strategy coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife, where she led a team of specialists using strategic communication, marketing analytics and impactful storytelling to help restore connections among people, agriculture, food, science and the economy.

Baker’s research engages local community leaders and industry stakeholders to examine and communicate about critical health and safety issues in the agricultural and food sector, strengthen community health and rural development in underserved areas, and advance strategic agricultural and health communication to increase trust and promote behavior change. While her work focuses on health and well-being broadly in the agrifood sector, she has specific expertise in farm stress and producer mental health, healthcare access, and agricultural workforce sustainability.

Biography

Dr. JoHannah H. Biang is an Assistant Professor of Ornamental Horticulture and Sustainable Landscapes in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University. Her interdisciplinary research bridges applied horticultural science, sustainable landscape management, and the social dimensions of horticulture, with an emphasis on resilience, education, and community engagement.

Dr. Biang’s current research program focuses on evaluating ornamental and edible specialty crops for performance under environmental stress, including drought, wind, and temperature extremes, with particular attention to low-input and multifunctional species suitable for Oklahoma landscapes. Ongoing projects include assessing the ornamental, agronomic, and nutritional potential of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), an herbal specialty crop, as well as collaborative evaluations of woody and perennial ornamentals. Additionally her research program seeks to support and strengthen the work of specialty cut flower producers in Oklahoma with cultivar evaluation, production recommendations, season extension through high tunnel usage, and growing the network through workshops and conferencing. Her work supports growers, landscape professionals, and educators seeking sustainable and adaptable plant selections.

She earned her Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Sciences from the University of Georgia, where her dissertation examined student experiences at a university community farm using qualitative research methods, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, and participant observation. This work contributes to a broader understanding of how experiential and service-learning environments influence student learning, self-efficacy, and long-term engagement in agriculture and food systems.

Before joining Oklahoma State University, Dr. Biang managed the gardens and greenhouse of a historic estate dating to 1841 with a team of skilled horticulturalists by maintaining, re-designing, and restoring the historic formal gardens at Hills and Dales Estate. Here she reignited her love of ornamentals, public gardening, and landscape horticulture. Prior to this position, Dr. Biang managed the UGArden, a 9-acre student-run organic teaching farm at the University of Georgia, and has held leadership roles in public gardens, historic landscapes, and one particular teaching farm. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes experiential learning, mentorship, and the integration of social, ecological, and technical perspectives within horticulture education.

Research Interests

At OSU since 2020 with a focus on farm management and agricultural finance.

Research Interests:

Bir's research focuses on farmer and rancher decision making related to production possibilities and finances. By eliciting consumer preferences for agricultural products, and analyzing the potential for farmers to incorporate these preferences profitably, Bir is working to bridge the gap between consumer preferences and farmer possibilities. Additionally, she is working towards increasing producer use and awareness of farm financial planning in the state of Oklahoma.

I am the Director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program for the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and a Senior Extension Specialist for Stored Products in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University.

Mckenzie Boyce is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University. Her work focuses on quality of life as an economic development strategy, aiming to better understand how local assets contribute to thriving rural areas. Her work aims to inform both local decision-making and broader policy discussions around rural community development. She holds a PhD in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a MS in agricultural economics from Mississippi State University, and a BS in agribusiness and a BS in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University. 

Research Interests:

Rural Development

Community Development

Quality of Life

Business Retention and Expansion

Entrepreneurship

Econometrics
Futures Markets
Precision Agriculture

Dr. Jonathan A. Cammack is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, and the State Extension Specialist for Livestock Entomology and Parasitology with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. He teaches undergraduate courses in livestock entomology and forensic entomology.

Research Interests:

• Management of Livestock Pests
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Waste Management
• Decomposition Ecology
• Forensic Entomology
• Insects as Alternative Protein Sources for Livestock Feed