Natasha Rayne is a faculty member in the UW–Madison Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences. She is also a soil fertility extension specialist with the UW–Madison Division of Extension.
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Natasha Rayne – Photo: University of Wisconsin
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UW-Madison assistant professor Natasha Rayne is the first recipient of the new Keith and Andrea Kelling Faculty Fellow Award. Rayne, an extension specialist in the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, will hold the fellowship through summer 2030.
Emeritus professor Keith Kelling and his late wife Andrea established the award. Both are UW-Madison alumni. In 1977, Keith joined his alma mater as a professor and extension soil scientist, where he led research in developing nutrient management systems for potatoes. The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2019.
The new fellowship funds the research of a faculty member specializing in nutrient, soil, or water management.
“We are humbled by and grateful for the generosity of the Kellings. This award will advance research in agricultural nutrient management and help to improve the economic livelihood of farmers while protecting water quality, which is what Keith spent his career working on,” says Doug Soldat, professor and chair of the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences.
Rayne joined UW–Madison in January 2024. Her research focuses on manure and nutrient availability in cropping systems, crop canopy sensors, variable rate technology, and nitrogen management in small grains and forages. She will present at the upcoming UW Agronomy and Soils Field Day on Aug. 26. Field day details are available at cals.wisc.edu/fielddays.
