Deborah A. Neher
Professor
PRONUNCIATION Deb-or-ah Near
PRONOUNS she/her
350 Jeffords Hall
63 Carrigan Dr.
Burlington, VT 05405
United States
- B.S. Environmental Science, McPherson College, 1984
- M.S. Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,1986
- Ph.D. Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis 1990
BIO
Deborah (“Deb”) Neher, Ph.D. is a soil ecologist and her recent research focuses on biological communities in compost and their role in disease suppression by natural mechanisms. Dr. Neher has 35+ years of experience as a researcher, educator, and graduate student mentor. She has published 125+ peer reviewed articles and book chapters on topics of biological indicators of soil, ecotoxicology and biotechnology risk assessment, climate change and soil biological crusts, plant pathology and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Neher’s primary research interest is developing biological indicators for environmental monitoring of soil. She views nature as a model and am a question-driven researcher using population and community ecology approaches.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Land Institute where she chairs the science committee. She was the 2010 recipient of the HW Vogelmann Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship at University of Vermont, 2015 recipient of the Deborah A. Neher Career Award in Soil Ecology given by the Ecological Society of America, and 2017 recipient of the Service Award of the Soil Ecology Society.
Awards and Achievements
- Soil Ecology Society, Service Award, 2017
- Ecological Society of America, Soil Ecology Section announces new Deborah A. Neher Career Award, 2015
- HW Vogelmann Award for Excellence in Research & Scholarship, UVM, 2009
Area(s) of expertise
Soil Ecology, biological indicators of soil, plant-soil interactions, epidemiology of root pathogens
Bio
Deborah (“Deb”) Neher, Ph.D. is a soil ecologist and her recent research focuses on biological communities in compost and their role in disease suppression by natural mechanisms. Dr. Neher has 35+ years of experience as a researcher, educator, and graduate student mentor. She has published 125+ peer reviewed articles and book chapters on topics of biological indicators of soil, ecotoxicology and biotechnology risk assessment, climate change and soil biological crusts, plant pathology and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Neher’s primary research interest is developing biological indicators for environmental monitoring of soil. She views nature as a model and am a question-driven researcher using population and community ecology approaches.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Land Institute where she chairs the science committee. She was the 2010 recipient of the HW Vogelmann Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship at University of Vermont, 2015 recipient of the Deborah A. Neher Career Award in Soil Ecology given by the Ecological Society of America, and 2017 recipient of the Service Award of the Soil Ecology Society.
Awards and Achievements
- Soil Ecology Society, Service Award, 2017
- Ecological Society of America, Soil Ecology Section announces new Deborah A. Neher Career Award, 2015
- HW Vogelmann Award for Excellence in Research & Scholarship, UVM, 2009
Areas of Expertise
Soil Ecology, biological indicators of soil, plant-soil interactions, epidemiology of root pathogens