Owen Duckworth

Owen Duckworth is a Professor and Director of Soil Science Graduate Programs at North Carolina State University's Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. His research focuses on soil and environmental biogeochemistry, particularly microbial-driven nutrient/contaminant cycling in ecosystems. He integrates traditional and advanced techniques to study biogeochemical processes across scales, emphasizing aqueous reactions and microbial exudates' roles.

Research emphasizes phosphorus management, heavy metal dynamics, PFAS contamination, and bioremediation strategies. Recent work addresses agricultural phosphorus overapplication, compost amendment effects on contaminants, and fungal interactions with metal uptake. Duckworth leads initiatives to improve global-local phosphorus system resilience and designs biotechnology solutions for sustainable resource cycles.

His publications span environmental chemistry journals and address interdisciplinary challenges in soil health, water quality, and pollution mitigation. Duckworth collaborates on educational outreach programs like the BESST REU to promote soil science engagement. Current projects include manganese-oxidizing fungi for e-waste recovery and geologic predictors of well contamination risks in North Carolina.