Rachel Stroer
President
Rachel became Acting President of The Land Institute on July 1, 2020 and was chosen by the board as President on April 1, 2021. In over five years at The Land, Rachel also served as Chief Operating Officer under both Wes Jackson and Fred Iutzi and then as Chief Strategy Officer, where she provided the vision and guidance needed to follow nature’s example from wild relative to domesticated perennial grain. She has an MBA from the Bloch School of Management and lives in Austin, Texas.
About Rachel
Tim Crews
Director of Ecological Intensification
Tim is the Director of Ecological Intensification of The Land Institute. He conducts research and helps to coordinate an international network of researchers also focused on ecological intensification.
About Tim
Lee DeHaan
Lead Scientist, Kernza® Domestication Program
Lee leads the effort to develop intermediate wheatgrass as a perennial grain, Kernza®. He has a PhD in Agronomy and Applied Plant Science from the University of Minnesota and lives in Kansas.
About Lee
Tessa Peters
Director of Crop Stewardship
Tessa Peters leads the Crop Stewardship program for Kernza® and other crops at The Land Institute. She has a PhD in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lives in Wyoming.
About Tessa
Marty Christians
Research Technician, Kernza®
Marty is the research and breeding technician for the Kernza® Domestication Program. He lives in Kansas.
About Marty
Sophia Skelly
Research Technician, Crop Stewardship
Sophia is a technician with the Crop Stewardship team. She is located in Minneapolis, MN but enjoys her frequent visits to the Smoky Hills.