Elina Snyder

I am a Masters’s student in the Department of Plant Science working with Dr. Heather Karsten and Dr. Bill Curran. My research consists of evaluating effectiveness of weed control programs that require less herbicide use, and evaluating weed growth as a result of different dairy manure application methods. I am conducting research within the NE-SARE Sustainable Cropping Systems Project. Though one state removed from my Maryland home, I am happy to still be researching toward improving water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.

I received a B.A. from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2007, where I studied Economics and Latin American Studies, and minored in Environmental Studies. Agriculture became central to my understanding of the relationship between sustainability and the environment after I began working at Even' Star Organic Farm in 2005. Advised by Dr. Kristen Sheeran, I completed an undergraduate thesis evaluating the economic feasibility of producing biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol on a regional scale in Southern Maryland. Since then, I have pursued learning agricultural skills in many contexts. After 5 years working with produce, poultry, and sheep, and a childhood working with horses, I look forward to broadening my insights into our food system through agricultural research.