# Dr. Yamina Pressler **SOIL SCIENTIST • EDUCATOR • ARTIST • WRITER** ![Yamina|400](https://www.dropbox.com/s/hip6sbz3hmkzip5/Headshot-pink.png?raw=1) ## a little about me I have a deep fascination for soils as natural wonders. I study the organisms that inhabit soils in coastal California and work towards collective soil conservation and care. Everything I do as a scientist, educator, and creative celebrates soils in an effort to increase our connection to them. **If we want to stop treating soils like dirt, we first need to develop the eyes to see them.** I invite everyone to learn how to see and experience the soils that make up the world around us. I am an **Assistant Professor of Soil Science and Restoration Ecology** at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where I lead the [[Coastal Soil Horizons & Ecology Lab (C-SHEL)]]. I received a **Ph.D. in Ecology** from Colorado State University, and **B.S. in Environmental Management** from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I was a **Postdoctoral Research Associate** at Texas A&M University, prior to joining the faculty at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2019. ## welcome to my shared learning space I want my website to be more than a static CV. I am creating a living representation of my work, writing, curiosity, and learning. There's lots to explore here. **Here are a few places you can start:** - learn more about our research group [[Coastal Soil Horizons & Ecology Lab (C-SHEL)]] - review the [[courses I teach]] - I share my course materials here! - learn more about [[who I am as an artist]] - read and listen to my [[! essay index|essays about soil]] - take a look at my [newsletter](https://wonderofsoil.substack.com/) - check out my resources and explainers - [[principles of studying]] - [[prelim exam reading lists]] - [[how to get involved with research as an undergraduate]] - [[how I built this website]] - [[preparing course materials in Obsidian]] <iframe src="https://wonderofsoil.substack.com/embed" width="480" height="320" style="border:1px solid #EEE; background:white;" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> *All photos and artwork on this site are mine unless otherwise stated.*