By Andi Anderson
Michigan State University (MSU) welcomes Tyler Lark as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences this August.
His position is part of the Agricultural Resiliency Program, aimed at supporting long-term plant agriculture amid changing weather and land use patterns.
Lark previously spent six years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he led research on U.S. agricultural land use change and its impact on water, climate, and conservation. His work includes irrigation efficiency, farmland protection, and sustainable production strategies.
“I’m excited to continue tackling these topics while engaging producers, policymakers and the public to co-develop and implement solutions,” Lark said.
Lark’s research uses satellite imagery and on-farm data to understand how landscapes evolve and how practices like regenerative agriculture and efficient irrigation can benefit both farms and ecosystems. One of his key projects, Farms Under Threat 2040, maps how urban growth and climate change threaten farmland.
At MSU, Lark joins five other new faculty members under the Agricultural Resiliency Program, a collaboration among MSU, the Michigan Plant Coalition, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The program is managed by MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension.
“Dr. Lark brings tremendous knowledge in the areas of land use, geospatial modeling, irrigation practices and resilient agricultural systems,” said Wei Zhang, interim department chair.
Lark holds degrees in engineering, mathematics, and a PhD in environmental and natural resource management. He also advises the USDA’s Farm Service Agency on conservation efforts.
He looks forward to working closely with Michigan farmers and researchers. “Working directly with those who face agriculture’s daily challenges helps deliver science-backed solutions that are grounded in the real world,” he said.
Photo Credit: michigan-state-university-msu
Categories: Michigan, Education