Our Team
Meet our Founder and Director
Dr. Jonathan Lundgren founded the Ecdysis Foundation in 2016, alongside establishing Blue Dasher Farm.
The idea for Ecdysis began behind the wheel of a rental car on a cross-country drive home to South Dakota. Driving through degraded communities and endless miles of monocrop fields, it became clear that something was deeply wrong with the agriculture system and how science was being applied. Something had to change.
Ecdysis was built on the belief that we have the ability to grow food while also protecting biodiversity and the health of our environment. Today, under Jonathan’s leadership, Ecdysis is at the forefront of providing research to influence our food system.
Meet the Scientists
Dr. KC
Jensen
Joined Ecdysis Team in 2021
Research Specialist - Avian Ecologist/Wildlife Biologist (part-time)
Dr. Ryan
Schmid
Re-joined Ecdysis Team in 2018
Research Scientist & Agroecologist
Ryan is a research scientist in charge of rangeland programs around North America
Dr. Kelton
Welch
Re-joined Ecdysis Team in 2019
Research Entomologist & Ecological Collections Manager
Kelton is in charge of the Mark F. Longfellow Biological Collection at Blue Dasher Farm
Meet The Graduate and PhD Students
Tommy
Fenster
Joined Ecdysis Team in 2017
Ba Environmental Analysis at Pomona College, Msc California State University, East Bay
Tommy is a PhD student at UC Davis researching regenerative perennial cropping systems
Cassandra
Koel
Joined Ecdysis Team in 2022
Bsc Biological Sciences - Ecological Studies
Cass is a Msc at SDSU studying the Conversion of Cropland into Rangeland
Meet The Core Staff
Roger
Brown
Re-joined Ecdysis in 2023
Shrimp Boil Consultant
Nora
D'antuono
Joined Ecdysis in 2024
Agroecology Specialist
Yam
Gautam
Joined Ecdysis in 2023
Project Leader
Kristianna
Gehant Siddens
Joined Ecdysis in 2024
Lab Manager
Frank
James
Joined Ecdysis in 2026
Community Relations
Erik
Johnson
Joined Ecdysis in 2023
Agroecology Specialist
Malin
Just
Joined Ecdysis in 2026
Agroecology Project Lead
Allison
Lewis
Joined Ecdysis in 2021
Agroecology Specialist - Ornithology
Christina
Lind
Joined Ecdysis in 2020
Communications Specialist & Farm Operations
Lynnette
Miller
Joined Ecdysis in 2022
Scientific Support Specialist
Diaa
Nassar
Joined Ecdysis in 2025
Full-Stack Software Engineer
Evan
Robertson
Joined Ecdysis in 2026
Agroecology Specialist
Jay
Skaar
Joined Ecdysis in 2019
Agroecology Specialist
Taylor
Storbakken
Joined Ecdysis in 2025
Administrative Assistant
Emily
Tess
Joined Ecdysis in 2025
Agroecology Specialist
Andres
Torres-Moya
Joiend Ecdysis in 2024
Agroecology Specialist
Mikayla
Wilson
Joined Ecdysis in 2024
Computer Scientist/Data Specialist
Bobbie
Wilson
Joined Ecdysis in 2022
Agroecology Specialist
Aubine
Zaro
Joined Ecdysis in 2026
Agroecology Specialist
Meet The Governing Board
Dr. Robert Wiedenmann, PhD
Chair
Former Department Head of Entomology, University of Arkansas
Mark Law
Treasurer
President, DNB National bank
Melanie Kirby
Member-at-large
Beekeeper, Educator
Gail Fuller
Vice-Chair
Farmer, Educator
Anne Golden
Secretary
Philanthropist
Genesis Graduate Students
Former Staff
Claire LaCanne
2017
Jacob Pecenka
2017
Liz Adee
Austin Adee
Mike Ayensu-Mensah
Noah Bell
Emily Blank
Christopher Bradley
Mike Bredeson
Roger Brown
Robin Buterbaugh
Liza Chang
Easton Coe
Emily Elzinga
Will Engelmann
Gordon Gallant
DeJae Gantvoort
Alyson Garcia
Islam Genina
Cedric Gentils
Namrata Ghimire
Sydney Golding
Shelby Gresch
Amy Heibult
Desirae Hertling
Olivia Husmann
Gabriela Jancikova
Matt Jones
Amy Knofczynski
Anne Knofczynski
Jenna Krogh
RaeAnn Krull
Braden Kullman
Anesa Liptak
Kirstyn Loyva
Gabby Lundgren
Ian Lundgren
Daniel Macina
Alex Marra
Fritze Mayer
Isabel McClellan
Alex Michels
Cooper Millar
Liam O'Connor
Juliette Paineau
Morgan Pederson
Alec Peterson
Felicia Rain
Pauline Reby
Stephen Robertson
Nolan Ryne
Thomas Schmitt
Nicole Shultz
Sierra Stendahl
Kimberly Strohschein
Julia Stueven
Adam Tess
Emily Tess
Kayli Tolk
Olivia (Liv) Torbert
David Trombold
Sadie Tornberg
Catherine (Cat) Wagner
Mia Werger
Kassidy Whethers
McKenzie Wilson
Tara Wood
Anqi Zhang