M. Francesca Cotrufo was born in Naples, Italy in 1968. She is a Professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University, where she runs the Soil Innovation Lab. She earned her B.Sc. from the University of Naples, Italy and her Ph.D. from Lancaster University, UK. Prior to join CSU in 2008, she worked as a professor at University of Campania, Italy. Dr. Cotrufo is a soil ecologist and biogeochemist, internationally recognized for her work in the field of litter decomposition and soil organic matter dynamics, and in the use of isotopic methodologies in these studies.
Yamina Pressler is a soil scientist, ecologist, and educator. She is an Assistant Professor of Soil Science and Restoration Ecology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she leads the Coastal Soil Horizons and Ecology Lab. Dr. Pressler received her Ph.D. in Ecology from Colorado State University and a B.S. in Environmental Management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University prior to returning to Cal Poly as a faculty member in 2019.