BIO: Dr. Fabián G. Fernández is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with major responsibilities for extension education in soil fertility and plant nutrition. Originally from Argentina, Fernández joined the Crop Sciences staff at the University of Illinois in August of 2006 after obtaining his Ph.D. degree in Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition from Purdue University in 2006, and his M.S. and B.S. degrees from Brigham Young University in 2002 and 2000, respectively. Dr. Fernández’s research and extension programs focus on soil nutrient management and plant mineral nutrition. His research interests include the study of soil nutrient bioavailability and cycling, root-soil interrelationships and nutrient uptake, fertilizer use efficiency of conventional and alternative management systems, and soil water stress and other environmental stresses on nutrient acquisition and crop growth and yield.