Brian D. Badgley

Associate Professor

I started at VT in 2012 following an academic tour including Georgia, Maryland, South Florida, and Minnesota. I have a diverse background including environmental science, ecology, and microbiology, and I enjoy using these various perspectives to address questions in environmental microbiology. When I’m not working or shuttling my kids around, I make it my goal to spend as much time as I can enjoying the outdoors – I still can’t believe I’m fortunate enough work on a campus only ten miles from the Appalachian Trail.

badgley(at)vt(dot)edu; (540) 231-9629; Brian’s CV

Prashasti Agarwal

PhD Student

Having lived in India for what felt like forever, I came to the US to pursue my master’s at New Mexico State University. I moved to Blacksburg for my Ph.D., and I am currently focusing on understanding how diverse plant communities affect soil microbial communities. In my free time, I enjoy catching up on missed sleep (I know, lame, right?) and shopping (hopefully window shopping counts!).

agarwalp(at)vt(dot)edu

Stephanie Duston

Ph.D. Student

Stephanie was an undergraduate researcher in the lab in 2016-17, pursued a MS degree with our I am a Maine native, growing up in New England where the rugged mountain and coastal terrain led to a love for our natural world. I completed my B.S. in Environmental Science at Virginia Tech, where I first started working in the Badgley Lab. I continued on at Virginia Tech in the Strahm Lab, steeping myself in soil biogeochemistry to earn my Master’s degree in Forestry. For my PhD, I have come full circle and am back working in the Badgely Lab, where I am focused on carbon cycling and allocation processes between plants, soil, and microbes. When I am not playing with soil, I am playing board games and romping around with my small ever growing army of corgis.

stephad5(at)vt(dot)edu

Anyelina Mangru

Ph.D. Student

manyelina(at)vt(dot)edu

Sarah Shawver

Ph.D. Student

After completing degrees in Wisconsin and Texas, I came to Blacksburg, where the climate is not so extreme. My research interests include how soil properties influence microorganisms. In my free time, I enjoy baking and spoiling my cat.

sarahes(at)vt(dot)edu