Sep 2026
van Genuchten & PDI Water Retention in R
Base-R functions to fit and evaluate the van Genuchten (1980) retention curve and its van Genuchten–PDI extension (Peters, 2013...
For students & researchers
Resources
Code, tutorials, favorite talks, and reading I keep coming back to — and share with my students.
Tips & shortcuts
Code & tutorials
Apr 2024
On being a good scientist and labmate
Sixty small steps to become awesome scientists and lab mates--be open to feedback, show appreciation, stay organized, ...
Jan 2024
Linking a Zotero folder with Overleaf
Steps for dynamic linking of zotero folder with Overleaf manuscript.
Feb 2022
Water Retention Lessons in Desmos
Visual fitting and pedotransfer functions of water retention in Desmos.
Jan 2020
Soil Hydraulic Functions in Matlab
R functions for fitting and calculating water rtention and hydraulic conductivity functions.
Jan 2020
Soil Hydraulic Functions in R
R functions for fitting and calculating water rtention and hydraulic conductivity functions.
Watch
Favorite videos
Secrets of Effective Scholarly Writing
Larry McEnerney, Director of the University of Chicago's writing program, on crafting scholarly writing that is valuable to your readers.
Explaining Explanations
In this thought-provoking TED talk, physicist David Deutsch explains what defines good scientific explanations and how they differ from myths.
A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success
Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure, and makes a witty case for finding true pleasure in our work.
What's Soil Got to Do with Climate Change?
Soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe on using soil's carbon-trapping power to offset climate change while boosting productivity.
The Tyranny of Small Scales
In the 2018 Walter B. Langbein Lecture, Dani Or discusses the challenge of representing soil processes in global models.
Pollution and Environmental Justice
Filmmaker Penelope Jagessar Chaffer and biologist Tyrone Hayes on the relationship between pollution and environmental justice.
Read
Reading list
Success in Graduate School
The Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Research Students. Rate yourself and work out what you can do to improve your progress.
On Being a Scientist
A guide to responsible conduct in research. The scientific enterprise is built on a foundation of trust; this book exemplifies the values behind it.
Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience
Principles, action points, and recommendations for making the postdoctoral experience live up to its promise.
Scrutiny of the Abstract
Kenneth Landes' classic on why the abstract is read 10 to 500 times more than the article — and how to write one well.
Scrutiny of the Introduction
Jon Claerbout's formula for an introduction that is an invitation to readers to invest their time.
Maintaining a Laboratory Notebook
Colin Purrington's tips for keeping a lab notebook — aimed at undergraduates, but useful for anyone.
How to Write a Useful Manuscript Review
Josh Schimel on peer review that is constructive and useful for both the editor and the authors.