Biography

Joann K. Whalen is a James McGill Professor at McGill University and an Affiliate Professor with the Center for Sustainable Soil Science at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco. She received her Ph.D. from Ohio State University (USA) and worked as a research scientist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada prior to joining the faculty at McGill. Dr. Whalen is also a professional agronomist (agronome) in Quebec, Canada. Her research focuses on soil fertility and soil ecology in agroecosystems. She has published more than 280 peer-reviewed scientific publications and supervised/co-supervised more than 80 students at the M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels. She teaches courses in soil fertility, soil ecology and environmental soil chemistry. Dr. Whalen is an Editor-in-Chief for Soil Biology and Biochemistry and on the Board of Reviewing Editors for PNAS Nexus. She is senior author of the textbook "Soil Ecology and Management" published in 2010 by CABI Publishers and editor of “Soil Fertility Improvement and Integrated Nutrient Management: a Global Perspective”, an online book published in 2012 that presents 15 invited chapters written by leading soil fertility experts from more than 20 countries. She was President of the American Society of Agronomy in 2023. She serves on the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel.