Faculty Host
Alain Plante
Alain Plante is a Professor in the Department of Earth & Environmental Science, where he has taught since 2007. He currently serves as Undergraduate Chair in the department and as the Faculty Director of the University Scholars program at the University’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF). Plante is a soil scientist by training and studies how organic matter decomposition in soil affects the global carbon cycle. His current research focuses on using biological, chemical, and thermal methods to distinguish between characterized soil organic matter, and to distinguish between carbon derived from decomposition compared to fire-derived or coal carbon. Plante has worked at study sites in Mongolia, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, West Africa, and across the U.S. and Europe. He teaches courses in introductory environmental science, soil science, biogeochemistry, environmental sustainability, and the Anthropocene. Plante holds a B.Sc.(Eng.) in Environmental Engineering and an M.Sc. in Soil Science from the University of Guelph (Canada), and a Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Alberta (Canada).
As of March 13, 2020, Penn faculty and staff members are prohibited from participating in University-related travel. We will confirm the faculty host’s participation in the tour upon receiving updated policy information from the University.