Matthew C. Ricker

Matthew C. Ricker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at North Carolina State University, affiliated with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. His research focuses on pedology, soil carbon dynamics, and the impacts of climate change and land use alterations on soils. He specializes in coastal zone soils, anthropogenic soils in Mesoamerica, and soil functions in riparian zones.

Dr. Ricker teaches courses in Soil Classification (SSC 452/551) and Soil Judging for Land Evaluation (SSC 410). He leads the Pedology/Land Use Lab, overseeing projects on coastal Histosols, Maya archaeological soils, and soil health under organic farming. His work integrates field studies, GIS, and multi-proxy analyses, with recent grants including USDA-NRCS funding for coastal blue carbon quantification and National Geographic support for Maya water management research.

His advising includes graduate students like Shannon Bradley (M.S. 2020) and Curtis Murphy, who have excelled in national competitions. He has secured over $25,000 in research grants and published extensively on topics ranging from soil carbon sequestration to ancient land use patterns. His lab collaborates with organizations like USDA-NRCS and EPA, emphasizing practical applications of soil science in environmental management.

Labs/Teams: Pedology/Land Use Lab, NC State Soil Judging Team, El Perú-Waka' Archaeological Project. Research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to address contemporary environmental challenges, including sea level rise mitigation and sustainable land use practices.