2026 Honorees
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Alessia Marchesan University of Alberta |
Gbenga Daniel Adejumo University of Saskatchewan |
Rimsha Khan Dalhousie University |
Alessia Marchesan, Recipient of CSSS-CJSS Travel Award for International Soil Science Meetings
Alessia Marchesan is a PhD student at the University of Alberta studying carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions from organic crop production. Her primary interest is in soil health and the ability for soil to provide agro-ecosystem services that benefit organic production. Alessia is currently involved in a reduced tillage and integrated crop-livestock system research trial at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lacombe Research and Development Center, in association with the Organic Federation of Canada.
Gbenga Daniel Adejumo, Recipient of CSSS-CJSS Travel Award for International Soil Science Meetings
Dr. Gbenga Daniel Adejumo recently completed his doctoral degree in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Gbenga’s research efforts evaluates machine learning, chemometrics, and spectroscopic techniques as tools for improving agricultural soil testing. This is to provide practical solutions and evidence-based guidance to farmers, agronomists, producers, soil researchers, policy makers, and government agencies on how to sustainably produce more food while preserving soil and its resources for future generations.
Rimsha Khan, Recipient of CSSS-CJSS Travel Award for International Soil Science Meetings
Rimsha Khan is a third-year PhD candidate whose research focuses on soil health, carbon utilization efficiency, nitrogen cycling, and the broader processes that regulate carbon and nitrogen dynamics in agricultural soils. Her doctoral research is conducted in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, with an emphasis on advancing sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural systems.
Following her master’s degree, Rimsha joined the PEI Federation of Agriculture as a Climate Action Specialist, where she worked on applied research and initiatives related to climate-smart agriculture. She was later promoted to Senior Research Scientist, reflecting her growing leadership in agricultural research and sustainability. She is currently concentrating on her doctoral research and plans to continue building a career in soil and agricultural science.