Transforming Agriculture, Perennially
Donate

Training & Education

Seasonal workers and educational trainees at The Land Institute are extraordinarily capable, interesting, and committed. They serve a critical role in fulfilling our shared mission, contributing to our organizational learning culture and our research in perennial grain crops, ecological intensification, ecosphere studies, and crop stewardship.

Current Opportunities

The Land Institute community includes a range of seasonal and temporary workers (general research assistants and program research assistants) and temporary educational trainees (program interns and postbaccalaureate researchers). Please see the careers page for more information on these positions and current opportunities.

Training Pathways Evolution

Throughout our organizational history, The Land Institute has designed and provided innovative educational opportunities. We continue to develop and evolve our training pathways as we seek to inform and inspire the next generation of perennial grain agriculture researchers and technicians, broaden participation in research, and build just learning communities in an ecospheric context.

Interns have come to The Land Institute from across the country and around the world. They have brought with them a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, along with energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm. They have also helped inform and inspire our own ongoing learning. For instance, The Land Institute designed a research residency program that has now evolved into a postbaccalaureate researcher program. In recent years, interns have stayed on or returned as research residents, post-bacs, and staff members.

We expect to offer several research program-specific intern positions in summer 2022. However, the general research intern program is on pause for 2022 as we explore ways to foster deeper collaboration and emphasize training in agricultural research skills while maintaining our sense of community.

2024

Frances O’Grady
General Research Assistant

Dakota Santiago
General Research Assistant

2023

Jackson Bowman
General Research Assistant

Jamie Branda
General Research Assistant

Claire Crews
Research Assistant, Soil Ecology

Malachi DeHaan
General Research Assistant

Matt Dunn
Research Assistant, Perennial Wheat

Madeline Dykstra
General Research Assistant

Todd Humiston
Integrated Pest Management Specialist

Vanessa Kelly
Intern, Soil Ecology

Mathew King
General Research Assistant

Ben Kraft
General Research Assistant

Madison Lawson
General Research Assistant

Sean McCoy
Research Assistant, Soil Ecology

Cameron Morris
General Research Assistant

Kendra Velasquez Munro
General Research Assistant

Frances O’Grady
General Research Assistant

Keat Robinson
General Research Assistant

Josh Rubino
General Research Assistant

Dakota Santiago
General Research Assistant

Xavian Thompson
Research Assistant

Leah Treffer
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Crop Protection Genetics

2022

Ella Ball
General Research Assistant

Jamie Branda
General Research Assistant

Tomas Cassani
Postdoctoral Researcher, Soil Ecology

Evan Craine
Research Associate - End-Use Science in Crop Stewardship

Malachi DeHaan
Research Assistant

Levi Geyer
General Research Assistant

Jacob Handel
General Research Assistant

Gina Harding
Research Assistant, Crop Protection Genetics

Zach Jake
Research Assistant - Crop Protection Genetics

Madison Lawson
Farm Research Assistant

Andy Marshall
General Research Assistant

Mayson Metcalf
General Research Assistant

Benjamin Kraft
Research Assistant

Dezni Ortiz
General Research Assistant

Greyson Pembleton
General Research Assistant

Laura Phillips
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Perennial Legumes

Keat Robinson
General Research Assistant

Joshua Rubino
General Research Assistant

Emma Shulda
General Research Assistant

Sophia Skelly
Upper Midwest Hub Coordinator

Andrea Sweeting
Program Research Assistant, Crop Protection Ecology

Leah Treffer
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Crop Protection Genetics

Brenna Wilcox
Operations Project Coordinator

2021

Emma Baker
Intern

Jack Braley
Intern

Belle Furman
Research Assistant, Soils Lab

Megan Gladbach
Research Resident, Ecosphere Studies

Abigail Han
Research Resident, Perennial Legumes

Stacy Holt
Intern

Sammie Moore
Intern

Jocelyn Pembleton
Research Assistant

Luke Van Tassel
Research Assistant

Malachi DeHaan
Research Assistant

Olivia Hamilton
Research Assistant, Greenhouse

Blaze Johnson
Research Resident, Crop Protection Ecology

Maya Kathrineberg
Research Technician, Perennial Wheat and Crop Protection Genetics

Lydia Nicholson
Research Technician, Educational Design

Dezni Ortiz
General Research Assistant

Siena Polk
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Ecosphere Studies

Laura Phillips
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Perennial Legumes

Sophia Skelly
Upper Midwest Hub Coordinator

Leah Treffer
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Crop Protection Genetics

Claire Wineman
Research Technician, Soil Ecology

2020

Emma Baker
Intern

Katy Dix
Intern

Alexandra Griffin
Research Resident

Megan Gladbach
Research Resident, Ecosphere Studies

Abigail Han
Research Resident, Perennial Legumes

Philip Hodges
Intern

Matthew Tanis
Intern

Angela Brekalo
Research Resident, Crop Protection Genetics

Eric Cassetta
Phenomic Breeding Technician

Malachi DeHaan
Research Assistant

Madeline DuBois
Research Technician, Ecology

Jarrod Fyie
Research Resident, Crop Protection Ecology

Blaze Johnson
Research Resident, Crop Protection Ecology

Siena Polk
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Ecosphere Studies

2019

Alexandra Griffin
Research Resident

Megan Gladbach
Research Resident, Ecosphere Studies

Abigail Han
Research Resident, Perennial Legumes

Gus Jaynes
Intern

Crystal Ma
Intern

Konilo Zio
Intern

Tehya Peters
Intern

Rena Detrixhe
Research Resident

Angela Brekalo
Research Resident, Crop Protection Genetics

Eric Cassetta
Phenomic Breeding Technician

Madeline DuBois
Research Technician, Ecology

Jarrod Fyie
Research Resident, Crop Protection Ecology

Westen Gehring
Grants Specialist

Blaze Johnson
Research Resident, Crop Protection Ecology

Siena Polk
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Ecosphere Studies

2018

Alexandra Griffin
Research Resident

Megan Gladbach
Research Resident, Ecosphere Studies

Abigail Han
Research Resident, Perennial Legumes

Philip Hodges
Intern

Anna Andersson
Research Technician, Civic Science

Collyn Fouard
Intern

Nicole Leslie Gentili
Natural Systems Agriculture Intern

Jack Graddis
Intern

Nima Homami
Intern

Emily Meier
NSA and Ecosphere Studies Intern

Dan Patel
Intern

Eric Cassetta
Phenomic Breeding Technician

2017

Katie Collins Land Institute Intern

Katie Collins
Intern

Siwook Hwang Land Institute Intern

Siwook Hwang
Intern

Meg MacDonald Land Institute Intern

Meg MacDonald
Intern

Reece Mathews Land Institute Intern

Reece Mathews
Intern

Marya Merriam Land Institute Intern

Marya Merriam
Intern

Emily Ralston Land Institute Intern

Emily Ralston
Intern

Maya Kathrineberg
Research Technician, Perennial Wheat and Crop Protection Genetics

Kelsey Peterson
Intern; Oilseeds Technician

2016

Cindy Thompson
Greenhouse Assistant

Share On: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Select other ways to share