Dr. Douglas L. Karlen retired from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) after more than 40-years of interdisciplinary agricultural systems research. He is an internationally recognized leader for soil health/soil quality and for sustainable cellulosic feedstock production. Doug has more than 250 referred journal publications and has worked effectively with producers representing conventional and organic farming operations, personnel from agri-business, the fertilizer industry and Rodale Research Institute, multiple professional societies, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Department of Energy (DOE) personnel on several multi-year research and technology transfer projects. He is a native of Monticello, Wisconsin and has his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Michigan State University, and Kansas State University, respectively. Doug was the 2015 recipient of the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award from the SWCS. He continues to be active in soil and water conservation through his soil health and sustainable agriculture consulting firm DLKarlen Consulting LLC.