EID Award

 2024 EID Award Winner

Dr. Jennifer Clarke

Professor and Director of the Quantitative Life Science Initiative
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Profile

Jennifer Clarke is a Professor and Director of the Quantitative Life Science Initiative at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). In her role, Dr. Clarke collaborates with the Associate Vice Chancellor for the Life Sciences to promote and integrate 'big data' sciences at UNL and across the University of Nebraska system. Dr. Clarke's research interests are broad, focusing on statistical methodology (particularly high dimensional and predictive methods), statistical computation, bioinformatics/computational biology, multi-type data analysis, data mining/machine learning, and bacterial genomics/metagenomics, including a gut function initiative.

Dr. Clarke has been instrumental in the formation and development of the North American Plant Phenotyping Network (NAPPN), contributing to the establishment of its mission, vision, and governance structure. Her leadership extended to the organization of annual conferences and general assemblies, fostering a culture of accessibility, equity, inclusivity, and diversity within the community. Additionally, Dr. Clarke's community-building efforts include serving on the Executive Board of the International Plant Phenotyping Network, organizing events and meetings for the Midwest Big Data Hub and the Digital Agriculture Spoke, and supporting educational and training opportunities within the NAPPN. She has been a key advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, leading initiatives that have increased participation from underrepresented and minoritized individuals at NAPPN conferences.

 2023 EID Award Winner

Dr. David LeBauer

Staff Scientist
Indigo Ag
Profile

David LeBauer’s work aims to apply scientific understanding to improve the sustainability of agricultural and other managed ecosystems. Early in his career he trained hundreds of farmers to grow shiitake mushrooms, and he has since trained as many researchers in scientific computing. He has also facilitated research by implementing novel approaches to data management and synthesis. This includes developing data and software tools that enable understanding and prediction of plant and ecosystem function.

After receiving his PhD in Earth System Science from the University of California at Irvine in 2008, Dr. LeBauer developed new approaches to combining available data with mechanistic models. Dr. LeBauer started development of the Predictive Ecosystem Analyzer (PEcAn) software to facilitate the integration of available data and expert knowledge with ecosystem models. To support this work, he built a database of bioenergy plant traits and yields (BETYdb) and has contributed to the Global Forest Carbon database and others. Dr. LeBauer first joined the phenomics community when he led the TERRA REF data and computing team that wrangled the world’s largest agricultural robot to produce the world’s largest public domain agricultural dataset. He has contributed to the development and implementation of standardized vocabularies and data formats and to the development of scalable pipelines.

As Director of Data Science for the Arizona Experiment Station over the last five years, Dr. LeBauer built the data science support team for the University of Arizona’s Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension. This team enables data intensive research across the Division through a combination of training, consultation, and collaboration. Last week, he started a position as staff scientist at Indigo Ag, where he will continue his work with a focus on quantifying and rewarding farmers for adopting sustainable practices. In this position he will apply his expertise in ecophysiology and informatics to support measurement and modeling of managed ecosystems.