Suellen Melzer was accepted as a Ph.D. candidate in the Soil and Crop Sciences Department in the Fall of 2004 after completing her Master’s degree in geology from the University of Colorado. Her background in sedimentary geology has led her to inquire about how sedimentary processes interact with the biological environment. It became clear that this interaction is fundamental to the study and understanding of present and past environments. She realized that the soil setting is ideal to obtain information about some of the most important questions leading scientific research today. Suellen is thus, currently investigating the role of plants on soil weathering. Specifically, she will quantify biogenic silica mobilization and weathering rates in diverse grassland ecosystems. She plans on completing her dissertation in the summer of 2008 after which she plans on applying for academic positions in the west.