Peterson, Heidi

Heidi completed her Ph.D. in July 2011 in Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering at the University of Minnesota (UofM). Her dissertation was in the area of water sustainability and focused on using a systems analysis, referred to as the Watershed Characteristics Approach, to estimate the renewable flux of the freshwater system. Upon graduating Heidi joined the Twin Cities Household Ecosystem Project (TCHEP) team at the UofM, and is currently investigating how household food choices influence the upstream phosphorus flux. Results of this current research will be expanded to explore the idea of urban nutrient sustainability through a circular economy model.

Prior to attending the UofM, Heidi consulted for >5 years in the field of soil and groundwater remediation. She received a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and a M.S. in Pedology and Land Use from Purdue University. Heidi's research interests include using her interdisciplinary background to evaluate how anthropogenic changes at multiple scales influence our environment.

Heidi has a passion for teaching; in addition to her research at the UofM, she teaches Soil and Water Conservation at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. When not in the laboratory or classroom, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.