Matthew Ricker

Matthew Ricker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. His research focuses on pedology, soil genesis, and land use impacts, particularly in coastal zones, floodplain wetlands, and ancient Maya landscapes. He teaches undergraduate/graduate courses in Soil Classification (SSC 452/551) and Soil Judging for Land Evaluation (SSC 410).

• Research Interests: Climate change effects on soil systems, blue carbon storage, coastal soil vulnerability, landscape reconstruction using soil proxies, Maya anthropogenic soils, riparian zone functions, and land use planning.
• Publications highlight coastal soil carbon dynamics, wetland restoration metrics, and interdisciplinary pedoarchaeology applications. Recent work explores saltwater intrusion impacts and Maya lowland hydrology.
• Awards: Recipient of the 2019 William W. Stevens Award for meritorious soil science scholarship.
• Students: Mentored 15+ graduate and undergraduate researchers, several of whom have transitioned to environmental geoscience roles.
• Labs/Teams: Leads the Pedology and Land Use research group, collaborating with Maya archaeology teams and coastal zone management initiatives.