Author Bio

Dr. Yichao Rui is an Assistant Professor of Agroecology at Purdue University. He utilizes an integrated systems approach to study the nexus of soil, crops, water, microbiomes, and their inter-relationships that underpin agroecosystem performance and services, so as to identify opportunities and actionable steps for ecological and meaningful transformation of cropping systems in the Midwest and around the world. Yichao holds Ph.D. degrees in Microbial Ecology and Soil Science from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Griffith University (Australia). Before joining Purdue, he worked at the University of Western Australia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Rodale Institute on a wide range of projects investigating the impacts of climate change and land use on agroecosystem resilience and its environmental and social outcomes. His research seeks to unravel mechanisms that underpin soil and crop resiliency to identify opportunities where agriculture can be implemented with ecological principles to improve its ecosystem services and long-term sustainability.