Carlos Bonilla

Dr. Carlos Bonilla is a Professor of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University and serves as the Director of the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC). He is affiliated with the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University.

Dr. Bonilla earned his PhD in Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006, an MS in Engineering (Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering) from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 1996, and a BS in Agronomy from the same institution in 1993.

His research focuses on soil physics and hydrology, soil health and carbon sequestration in natural and managed landscapes, irrigation improvement, soil aggregates, soil erosion, and mathematical models to assess the impact of management practices on nutrient fate and transport in soil and water. His work spans both theoretical modeling and practical field applications, with particular emphasis on wildfire-affected soils, soil hydraulic properties, and sustainable land management practices. Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on soil physical properties, particularly how they're affected by environmental stressors like heating and wetting/drying cycles, with increasing incorporation of machine learning techniques for prediction and analysis.

• Associate Editor for the Soil Science Society of America Journal
• Member of the editorial Advisory Board in Geoderma
• Soil Science Society of America (2003-)
• American Society of Agronomy (2005-)
• Crop Science Society of America (2005-)
• Soil and Water Conservation Society (2012-)
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (2017-)

Dr. Bonilla has received numerous teaching awards throughout his career, particularly during his time at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he was recognized multiple times as an inspiring professor and for teaching excellence. His research has been supported by various grants and fellowships, including the President of the Republic Graduate Scholarship from the Government of Chile and the Cochrane Fellowship from the USDA-ARS Fellowship Program. His laboratory and research team focus on soil physical properties measurement and modeling, with recent work emphasizing the impacts of wildfires on soil properties and the development of innovative methods for soil hydraulic characterization.