Rate My Professor Markus Kleber

Kleber's research centered on processes at the interface between organic matter and mineral surfaces, including mineral surface properties, organic matter properties, bonding mechanisms, adsorption processes, mineral-microbial interactions, and organic matter turnover dynamics in soil systems. He was a paradigm-shifter in soil science, notably through his rigorous critique of the traditional humification model of organic matter transformation, with contributions analyzed at landscape, field, and molecular scales. His influential publications include "Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property" (Nature, 2011), "The contentious nature of soil organic matter" (Nature, 2015), "Dynamic molecular structure of plant biomass-derived black carbon (biochar)" (Environmental Science & Technology, 2010), "Mineral–Organic Associations: Formation, Properties, and Relevance in Soil Environments" (Advances in Agronomy, 2015), and "A conceptual model of organo-mineral interactions in soils" (Biogeochemistry, 2007). Kleber served as president of the Oregon Society of Soil Science, a lifetime member of the society, and entered Fellowship with the Soil Science Society of America upon retirement. In 2024, he co-authored the Soil Science Society of America Journal Outstanding Paper Award recipient. He mentored graduate students on projects addressing organic carbon accumulation, PFAS retention, soil health, and cover crops, and taught courses including SOIL 388 Soil Systems and Plant Growth, SOIL 525 Mineral-organic interactions, and soil analysis laboratories.