Darlene received her M.S. in Soil Science, Summer 2009, and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Soil Science

The Spring of 2011 Darlene received the Sonkin-Bergman-Wasserman Families' Scholarship for International Understanding & Peace, a $1000 scholarship for her project 'Land Management Effects on Soil Fertility and Grain Productivity'. Additional funding was secured through various International Affairs Grants including $4500 for travel to and in Kenya, and soil and plant analysis to evaluate changes in soil fertility due to the placement of composted cattle manure in relation to rows of corn.

Darlene serves as a Graduate Research Associate. She works in the Soil Fertility Group and is part of the NSF K-12 Fellows Program. Her advisor is Ed McCoy.