Dr. Armen Kemanian

Biography

Armen R. Kemanian is a Professor in the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University, where he also serves as the Interim Department Head. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering from Washington State University in 2003. His expertise lies in production systems modeling, agroecosystems, soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, hydrologic nutrient cycling, environmental biophysics, and plant ecophysiology. Kemanian's research focuses on understanding and managing agricultural natural ecosystems, integrating multiple scales to examine the controls on carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils, plant water uptake, and resource competition among plant communities. He employs models to support decision-making processes from farm to landscape scales, linking fundamental research to societal concerns such as food production and climate change. 75% of his work is dedicated to research, while 25% focuses on teaching students. Kemanian teaches courses such as Plant Ecology and Environmental Biophysics, among others.

Research Interests