Kurt Thelen

Kurt Thelen is a Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University (MSU) and Director of the MSU-Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. His research focuses on developing sustainable bioenergy cropping systems to enhance food, feed, and energy security while protecting environmental resources. Thelen holds a Ph.D. in Crop & Soil Sciences from MSU.

Thelen's work emphasizes marginal land utilization for bioenergy crops such as switchgrass and hemp, evaluating their productivity and environmental impacts. Recent studies include analyzing supply chains for biofuels, climate benefits of bioenergy, and optimizing crop management practices. His research integrates agronomic, economic, and ecological perspectives to address global sustainability challenges.

• Awards: American Society of Agronomy Fellow (2022)
• Key Projects: GLBRC Directorship, Industrial Hemp Varietal Trials
• Teaching: CSS/BSE/FOR 467: BioEnergy Feedstock Production

Thelen's lab collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to advance bioenergy systems, including studies on crop resilience to climate variability and lifecycle analysis of biofuel production. His work bridges academic research with practical agricultural applications, informed by field experiments and data-driven approaches.