The mission of the Crop and Soil Sciences Department is to generate and communicate knowledge pertaining to agroecosystems and their sustainable management in the face of accelerating global change. We educate students regarding stewardship of agroecosystems, preparing them for fulfilling private- and public-sector employment; they conduct scientific research to investigate complex problems that relate to sustainable land management and the intersection of agriculture and the environment; and they use their extension and outreach programs to inform their research, communicate their findings and enhance lifelong learning opportunities for stakeholders.