Congratulations to Dr. Facundo Lussich Rachetti, who successfully defended his dissertation and graduated in Fall 2025!
Facundo’s PhD research at the University of Tennessee examined how long-term soil health practices shape nitrogen cycling, microbial communities, and nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural systems.
His work combined long-term field experiments with laboratory studies, microbial ecology, and machine learning approaches to better understand and predict greenhouse gas emissions under contrasting management practices.
A major highlight of his academic journey was collaborating with researchers at the University of Memphis and Oak Ridge National Laboratory on microbial ecology and biogeochemical processes. Facundo believes these collaborations expanded his technical skills and reinforced the value of interdisciplinary research.
During his PhD, Facundo was chosen as the Graduate Student with Professional Promise in Environmental & Soil Science, a selective award presented by the Biosystems Systems Engineering and Soil Science Department at UTK. Additionally, he placed third in the Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Student Poster Competition at the Tri-Societies International Annual Meeting in 2022.
Beyond these noteworthy achievements, Facundo was known for his outstanding character. Facundo was a friend to all during his PhD program. He was a hard worker and exemplary researcher who consistently showed up to help other lab members, no matter the task.
When asked to reflect on his time at UTK, Facundo said, “Some of my favorite memories include lab meetings with such a supportive and friendly group, the many collaborations that grew from that environment, and all the time spent in the field with lab members, always productive and a lot of fun.”
Best of luck in your future endeavors, Facundo!