Who We Are
IN-RICHES is a transdisciplinary collaboration with contributions from CSU Agricultural Experiment Stations, CSU Extension, CSU Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, and other CSU departments. We also collaborate with researchers from other universities and experts from Ground Up Consulting.
IN-RICHES is a project of CSU Spur and CSU Agricultural Experiment Station.
Our Team
Megan Machmuller
Co-director
Dr. Megan Machmuller is a research scientist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. Her work explores how climate change and land management shape plant–microbial interactions, soil health, and carbon sequestration. She collaborates with diverse stakeholders to advance regenerative and resilient agricultural systems. Megan earned a BS in Biology from Creighton University, a PhD in Ecology from the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology, and completed a USDA NIFA postdoctoral fellowship.
Helen D. Silver
Co-director
Helen has over 15 years of experience in environmental and natural resource policy, with a career rooted in soil health. She began as an environmental attorney working on international law, Clean Water and Clean Air Act litigation, and climate policy for nonprofits, corporations, and governments. After earning a master’s in Sustainability and Environmental Management, she shifted her focus to soil health and sustainable food systems in the Rocky Mountain West. She is also an adjunct professor at Harvard Extension School.
Steve Blecker
Steve developed his passion for soils as an undergraduate at Penn State, then earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in soil science at Colorado State University, focusing on grassland ecosystems. He has since worked across the Western U.S. in academia, federal land management, and state regulatory agencies, helping land managers apply science to policy and practice. His soil health research continues through projects spanning Colorado’s agroecosystems and grazing lands.
Leadership Team Member
James Hale
James is Research Director of Community Food Systems and Social Sustainability in CSU’s Department of Sociology. Based at CSU Spur, he studies the social, political, and economic dimensions of building sustainable, equitable food systems, with a focus on food insecurity. His research explores how change occurs in food and agriculture, particularly how researchers and practitioners navigate discomfort to drive progress. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Colorado State University.
Leadership Team Member
Lexi Firth
Leadership Team Member
Lexi brings a background in ecology and natural resource management, with early experience as a small organic farmer in rural New Mexico. She earned an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in soil science from Mississippi State University, specializing in soil health, carbon cycling, and the soil microbiome. She enjoys engaging in projects that bridge the gap between research, education, and producer decision making.
Elizabeth Ellis​
Post Doctoral Fellow
Elizabeth “Ellie” Ellis brings expertise in soil carbon cycling, interdisciplinary research, and science communication. She earned her Ph.D. in Soil Science from Colorado State University, where she led a multi-farm study of soil health practices across the Midwest. At IN-RICHES, she combines her soil science background with her passion for education and multimedia design to create educational tools for diverse audiences.​
​
​​
Adam Snitker
Adam is a Ph.D. student in Sociology at Colorado State University, studying interactions between social and ecological systems. His recent work focuses on how agricultural producers in the American West navigate competing values in management decisions. He also works with the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute on collaborative management and uses qualitative, quantitative, and computational methods to address socio-ecological challenges. Adam holds an M.S. from the University of Montana’s College of Forestry.
Rebecca Even
Rebecca is a soil scientist with expertise in soil organic matter dynamics, soil health, and agroecosystem productivity. She earned a B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and an M.S. in Soil and Crop Sciences from Colorado State University. Her work bridges technical expertise in soil sampling, processing, and analysis to link soil health to sustainable land management and climate solutions.
Ian Aksland
Ian has over five years of experience in soil sensor technology, specializing in soil moisture across dryland, irrigated, controlled, and turf systems. He has trained state technicians and researchers in sensor use and recently helped integrate soil sensors into Colorado weather stations to provide real-time public data. His work centers on ensuring environmental sensors deliver reliable insights to improve land and water management.
​
​
​
​
Levi Johnson
Levi combines a background in soil ecology and visual arts to bring a creative, interdisciplinary perspective to his work. He holds a B.Sc. in Soil Ecology from Colorado State University and works with CSU’s Agricultural Experiment Stations and the Colorado Soil Health Program. His projects often blend data, illustration, and storytelling, highlighting the ways science and art can inform and elevate one another.
Our Collaborators
We work with researchers across disciplines to investigate regenerative food system transitions and impacts of soil health management. Our interdisciplinary team of collaborators supports soil health initiatives in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. Click on each researcher's name below to learn more about their work.
