Jacob Prater, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Contact Information
Phone: (715) 346-4180
E-mail: jacob.prater@uwsp.edu
Office: TNR 274

Curriculum Vitae

 

Biography

Jacob Prater, Ph.D., is a displaced Tennessean who has grown to love all of the seasons in Wisconsin. He enjoys fishing, cross-country skiing, and woodworking (all are a family affair) among other pursuits. There isn’t anything better than working in and with the soil though. The amazing diversity of life the soil supports fascinates him and he loves to tell people about it. Whether it is agriculture, forests, grasslands, gardens or ginseng fields, he loves to learn about it and share his knowledge.

Education

  • BS - Environmental and Soil Sciences, University of Tennessee Knoxville
  • MS - Soil Science, Iowa State University
  • PhD - Soil Science and Environmental Science, Iowa State University

Research

Prater’s research includes agriculture, forestry, soil maps and land evaluation, and contaminant transport. Specific projects include an on-going prescribed fire project at UW-Stevens Point’s Treehaven facility and a statewide project developing Provisional Ecological Site Descriptions with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He also does research in agricultural production and the movement of contaminants such as estrogens and synthetic chemicals in soil.

Engagement with Students

Prater has mentored many UW-Stevens Point undergraduate students and several graduate student research projects. He is a co-advisor of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and a member of the Soil Science Society of America.