Meet Our Group
Ann Bybee-Finley
Assistant Professor of Agroecology
Dr. Bybee-Finley leads the Agroecology Program, directs the Agroecology Education Farm at North Carolina State University, and teaches CS 230 and CS 430. Before joining NC State, Dr. Bybee-Finley worked as a Research Agroecologist for the Agricultural Research Service at the United States Department of Agriculture.
Her work focuses on crop diversification practices as an adaptation strategy to climate change. Her research interests include intercropping, cover cropping, and assessing the multifunctionality of cropping systems. Dr. Bybee-Finley engages with statistical modeling, field experiments, and integrating human dimensions into research about farming practices.
Sara Snyder
Agroecology Education Farm Manager
Sara began working at the farm as the Farm Manager in the spring of 2023. They grew up in New Bern, NC and graduated from Duke, where they worked on the Duke Campus Farm throughout their undergrad. Since graduating, they have worked on a variety of organic farms in NC. They find growing food to be empowering and love sharing that experience with others. When they’re not at the farm, you can find Sara swimming, baking, and visiting their local library. Come by the Agroecology Education Farm and say hi!
sasnyde4@ncsu.edu
4400 Mid Pines Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27603
Madelyn Cunningham
Agroecology Lab Coordinator
Madelyn graduated from NC State in 2025 with a Crop and Soil Sciences-Agronomy B.S. She is originally from Pittsboro, NC and has a passion for research in sustainable cropping systems. She is excited to put in effort to further the Agroecology Lab’s outreach. Outside of work Madelyn enjoys reading, videogames, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Contact Me
mmcunni3@ncsu.edu
2415 Williams Hall
Brian Gallagher
Sustainable Agricultural Systems Unit Technician
Brian is a technician at the Bill Fike Agronomy Lab and the Agroecology Field Lab. A Granville County native, he grew up helping his grandparents raise cattle and tend vegetable and flower gardens, while also working on his grandfather’s land surveying crew. After early experience at a local strawberry farm and a decade in the restaurant industry, he returned to North Carolina to work at an organic farm in Rougemont, where he developed a strong interest in organic agriculture, tractor operation, and the virtues of sun protection. On summer weekends, you might find him selling produce roadside near Oxford, exploring antique shops, or tracking down hole-in-the-wall restaurants on a road trip.
Contact Me
bcgallag@ncsu.edu
Lauren Rouse
Agroecology Education Farm Apprentice
Lauren is the new Apprentice at the farm, working with Sara and the student crew. She grew up in Wheaton, IL and graduated from Elon University. Sustainable farming became her life’s work while at university, and has since worked in Cedar Grove on sustainable produce farms and she spent time volunteer farming in France. In her free time, Lauren loves to rock climb, swim in the Eno, and craft with her friends.
Contact Me
lcrouse@ncsu.edu
Frieda Kahan
Masters Student
Frieda originally hails from California, but fell in love with agroecology at the University of Vermont where she got her bachelors in Agroecology. She worked in the Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab at Cornell University as well as on many diversified farms across the U.S. from Alaska to Colorado to Vermont. In her spare time you can find her biking, swimming, crafting, and cooking extravagant meals for her friends.
Contact Me
frkahan@ncsu.edu
Lauren Hooper
Data Analyst
Lauren began working for the farm this summer as their Data Analyst! She is from Holly Springs NC and is a senior studying Biostatistics at UNC Chapel Hill. While she may be a Tar Heel, she loves being a part of the farm and contributing to its growth! Outside of the farm she enjoys baking, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Contact Me
lahooper@ncsu.edu
D.R.I.V.E.S. Specialists
Katherine Muller
Lead Data Scientist for D.R.I.V.E.S.
Dr. Katherine Muller is a free-range agroecologist and data scientist who leads data management and statistical analysis for the DRIVES project.
Contact Me
kemuller@ncsu.edu
Kathryn White
Soil Scientist for D.R.I.V.E.S.
Dr. Kathryn White is a soil scientist with the Diverse Rotations Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) network. Her research investigates the long-term effects of cropping systems
management on soil C and N storage and cycling, soil health and fertility, crop yields, and farming system economic performance and stability. She also uses process-based crop and soil models to assess weather effects on crop yields and to test adaptive management strategies to mitigate climate change stressors on crop performance.
She previously worked as a Research Soil Scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service and was the ARS Fellow with the USDA-Northeast Climate Hub.
Contact Me
kewhite4@ncsu.edu