Joann K. Whalen holds a James McGill Professor research chair at McGill University and is an Affiliate Professor at the Chair of Sustainable Soil Sciences of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco. She received her B.Sc. (Agr.) from Dalhousie University, an M.Sc. from McGill University and Ph.D. from Ohio State University (USA). She is a professional agronomist (agronome) in Quebec, Canada. She was President of the American Society of Agronomy in 2023.

Joann’s research covers soil biology, soil health and agricultural nutrient management. She has been the supervisor/ co-supervisor of 80 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with more than 280 peer-reviewed scientific articles. She is an Editor-in-Chief for Soil Biology and Biochemistry, the top scholarly journal in the soil sciences and a Review Editor for PNAS Nexus published by the National Academy of Sciences (USA). Joann is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and of the Canadian Society of Soil Science.

Joann has spent her career working on issues in sustainable and resilient agriculture, through the implementation of integrated soil and fertilizer management planning, conservation tillage, and diverse rotations that include perennial crops and trees. Currently, she is leading research projects on the plant root microbiome, including bioinoculation with microbial and other products to improve crop tolerance to heat, water and salt stress.