معرفی
Ivana Šestak serves as Associate Professor in the Department of General Agronomy, Division for Agroecology, at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, where she has held academic positions since 2004. Her expertise bridges remote sensing, precision agriculture, and sustainable land management, with extensive contributions to Croatian agricultural research and education.
Her academic qualifications include:
- Ph.D. in Agriculture (2004–2011), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, dissertation: Use of Field Spectroscopy for Assessment of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Winter Wheat
- M.S. (Agr) in Landscape Architecture (1998–2003), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, thesis: Woody plant species of water edge near the public swimming area of river Kupa near Petrinja
Dr. Šestak’s research centers on remote sensing applications for soil health monitoring, nitrogen optimization, and climate-resilient farming systems. She employs hyperspectral data analysis, GIS mapping, and multivariate statistical modeling to address precision agriculture challenges, with fieldwork spanning Croatian and Hungarian agricultural landscapes. Her methodologies integrate biophysical modeling with practical farm-scale implementations.
Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on soil-environment interactions, particularly nitrogen dynamics, carbon sequestration, and contamination risks. Recent work examines radioactivity in agricultural soils (2017), nitrate leaching under variable fertilization (2014), and climate-agriculture linkages in Croatia (2012), reflecting interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable land use.
Dr. Šestak has coordinated major projects including Erozija i degradacija tla Hrvatske (Croatian Science Foundation, 2018–2023) and Erasmus+ initiatives on agroecology education. Her grant portfolio spans soil/water monitoring, sustainable land management, and climate adaptation, often involving national agencies and EU collaborations. She teaches courses in Global Ecology, Agroclimatology, and Spectroscopic Methods, emphasizing field applications.
As a divisional member of the Agroecology unit, she leads multidisciplinary teams in national monitoring programs and international research networks, maintaining active partnerships with institutions like Iowa State University and Croatian environmental agencies.
