Benjamin R Runkle

Benjamin R Runkle is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He leads the Landscape Flux Research Group, focusing on carbon-water-energy cycle interactions in agricultural and wetland systems. His work combines field measurements with climate modeling to advance sustainable rice production and global climate mitigation strategies.

• BS/PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Princeton/UC Berkeley
• Postdoctoral research at University of Hamburg (2009-2014)

Research spans methane emissions, evapotranspiration, and hydrological controls in rice paddies and Arctic wetlands. Recent projects include Landsat-based methane mapping and climate-smart agricultural modeling. Key applications: global climate models, carbon accounting, and water-efficient irrigation.

Selected peer-reviewed publications (2024-2025) address peatland methane dynamics, rice carbon budgets, and remote sensing for climate-smart systems. Awards: NSF CAREER (2018), AGU Sulzman Award (2024), and multiple departmental teaching/research honors.

• Advising: Mentored senior design teams (ASABE Gunlogson Competition 1st place 2020)
• Grants: NASA Carbon Monitoring System (2021), USDA Climate Smart Commodities (2022)

Labs/Teams: Landscape Flux Group, FLUXNET-CH4 network, and ACT-America airborne campaigns collaborations. Public engagement: Featured in New York Times (2023), DW (2023), and Research Frontiers podcast (2025).