UW-Stevens Point Honors Bryant Scharenbroch with University Scholar Award for Transformative Soil Science and Mentorship
Few scientists can connect the invisible workings of the soil to the urgent challenges of our modern world, and fewer still do it with the scope, energy, and human impact of Bryant Scharenbroch. This year, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point named him this year’s University Scholar Award recipient, recognizing a career that digs deep into ecosystems, data, and human potential.
Scharenbroch, a soil and waste resources professor in the College of Natural Resources, is the principal investigator of UWSP’s Pedology Laboratory (www.pedology-uwsp.weebly.com). This research engine explores the dynamic and often underappreciated relationships between people and soils. “Our work looks at how humans influence soil and how soil, in turn, influences human life,” Scharenbroch said. “It’s about understanding our footprint, and the ground beneath it.”
That philosophy powers an astonishing range of projects. His urban soil research focuses on pressing environmental challenges, including soil contamination and remediation, the role of soil biology in ecosystem recovery, stormwater management, and the critical importance of soil health for sustaining urban trees. In agricultural contexts, Scharenbroch has led studies on the use of residuals to improve soil quality, developed agronomic practices for growing hemp in Wisconsin, and investigated the phytoremediation potential of both hemp and alfalfa. In forest ecosystems, his team has worked on a range of projects, including ecological site descriptions, soil responses to fire, and the use of cutting-edge proximal sensors to analyze soil properties and identify spodic horizons across Midwestern forests. Prairie research under his leadership has examined soil carbon sequestration, restoration techniques, and the fire-soil dynamic that shapes grassland ecosystems. In wetlands, one of the most fragile ecosystems, his research explores hydric soil formation in restored sites, enhances identification techniques, and utilizes remote data to refine wetland delineation.
At the same time, Scharenbroch is the lead scientist of the Wisconsin Soil Health (WISH) Laboratory (www.wisconsinsoilhealth.weebly.com), a facility he helped create to bridge research and community service. The WISH Lab serves as a hub for soil health testing, public education, and hands-on student learning. Farmers, conservation groups, and citizens across Wisconsin send in samples for testing and interpretation, while students gain real-world experience in the science and application of soil health data. It is an exciting model, science for people, powered by the next generation of scientists.
The numbers reflect a scholar in full stride. Since arriving at UWSP, Scharenbroch has secured nearly $2 million in research funding. He has published 27 peer-reviewed scientific papers, contributed to five books, written white papers, industry reports, and book chapters, and presented more than 80 times at national and international scientific gatherings. His work has been cited more than 3,300 times in literature, a mark of growing influence. He has also received more than 40 awards for excellence in research, teaching, outreach, and service.
But numbers only tell part of the story. What truly sets Scharenbroch apart, say his colleagues and students, is his tireless dedication to mentorship.
Luke Scheberl, an instructor and arborist technician at Mid-State Technical College, was Scharenbroch’s first graduate student. “I can personally attest to Bryant’s exceptional mentoring skills, which I consider one of his most important scholarly contributions,” Scheberl said. “As his advisee, we had weekly meetings and regular contact throughout the week. Only later did I realize how rare that was. Many graduate students barely see their advisors. Bryant’s level of commitment is exceptional.”
That mentorship model has shaped the careers of dozens of individuals. In just nine years at UWSP, Scharenbroch has advised six graduate students, served on six additional graduate committees, and mentored more than 60 undergraduates. His students have delivered 47 conference presentations, with many going on to graduate programs, environmental leadership roles, and positions in the private sector. Scheberl adds, “In my current role as an instructor, I try to model my own teaching, enthusiasm, and student mentorship after Bryant’s. He does all of this with a smile and an unwavering commitment. He truly enjoys his role as a scholar, and that energy is contagious.”
“Dr. Scharenbroch exemplifies what it means to be a scholar,” Brian Sloss, dean of the College of Natural Resources, shared. “His commitment to scientific discovery, community engagement, and student development embodies the highest ideals of this award. His work isn’t just published, it is lived, shared, and applied.”
As the University Scholar Award joins his long list of accolades, Scharenbroch’s message remains grounded and clear: Science should serve people. Students deserve time. And every great future starts with understanding what lies just beneath our feet.