Range Management Researchers
Carol Baldwin
Dr. Carol Baldwin researches the areas of prescribed burning as well as the ecological and environmental issues affecting rangelands. She is a Range Specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at K-State and administers the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, one of 15 exchanges that cover the country.
Dr. Baldwin’s main research project focuses on grassland burning and includes measurements of grassland fuel load using drones. The project will use satellite models and will collect first emissions data for grasslands in situ. Dr. Baldwin graduated from K-State with her Ph.D. in Agronomy and worked for the university as an Extension Assistant until 2008, when she joined the faculty as a Research Assistant Professor.
Learn more about Dr. Baldwin’s work.
Walter Fick
Dr. Walter Fick is a professor of range management in K-State’s agronomy department. A member of the K-State faculty since 1978, Dr. Fick’s current work combines research, extension, and teaching. His research focuses primarily on prescribed burning methods, grazing management, and range improvement practices control of brush and invasive species in rangeland. These species include old world bluestem, saltcedar, and common honeylocust, among others. Specifically, his research evaluates new and current herbicides and works to develop effective management strategies for brush and weed control on rangeland and pasture.
Dr. Fick holds a bachelor of science and master’s degrees in agronomy from the University of Nebraska, and a Ph.D. in Range Science from Texas Tech University.
Learn more about Dr. Fick and his work.
Zifei Liu
Dr. Zifei Liu is an Assistant Professor in K-State’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He is an air-quality specialist, whose projects involve smoke management for prescribed burning. Dr. Liu’s work promotes science-based information on smoke management and smoke impact, and he provides educational workshops on this subject. He also has livestock projects, including better waste management for producers, investigations on livestock emissions, life cycle assessment of environmental impact of livestock emissions, and comparing footprints of different feed and management systems.
Dr. Liu has been a faculty member since 2012. Before joining K-State, he spent two years at Michigan State University, as a post doc working with animal nutritionists on dietary strategies for mitigating air emissions from livestock operations.
Discover more about Dr. Liu’s research.
