Dr. Maoz Dor
Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
My life before BGU:
I was born and raised on Kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev. I completed my undergraduate degree at BGU and earned my master’s and PhD degrees in soil and water sciences at the Hebrew University. I did postdoctoral research at Michigan State University, focusing on microscopic processes in soil structure and their impact on carbon sequestration.
Why BGU?
I interviewed at several institutions in Israel and abroad, and the process with the university, especially the Institutes for Desert Research, was pleasant and left a strong impression. The desert specifically is a challenging and relatively underexplored environment in fields close to mine, and as such it presents many fascinating research questions that are highly relevant to our times.
My research?
My research encompasses biogeochemical processes at multiple scales, from the microscopic to the macroscopic, from soil pores to entire fields. I focus on understanding the role of soil pore structure in microscopic processes that lead to carbon sequestration and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the role of interactions between land use, soil properties, and management interfaces in determining the spatial variability of carbon sequestration, plant nutrition, and greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural fields and open landscapes.
An insight from my field of research:
My experience has taught me that many interesting questions come up precisely when talking to people outside your field; anyone from physicists to literature scholars. Every researcher can shed light on a different angle, and the most fruitful collaborations and novel ideas often originate in the least expected places. This not only enriches the research, but is also a reminder that complex problems in life (and in science) are best solved together, with as many perspectives as possible.
Source of inspiration:
The novels The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years (Chinghiz Aitmatov) and Dune (Frank Herbert)
If I weren’t a researcher, I would be…
A tour guide
In brief:
- Meticulous planning or spontaneity? Both
- Morning or night? Work in the morning, inspiration and writing at night
- Summer or winter? Winter
- Shuk or shopping mall? Shuk
- Instant coffee or espresso? EspressHiking or relaxing on the beach? Hiking
- Evening with friends or evening alone? Both
- Car or train? Train
- Classic Europe or East Asia? Both
- City or country? Country/kibbutz/moshav
- Movie at the cinema or Netflix binge? Movie on Netflix(?)
- Text message or phone call? Face-to-face conversation
- Dog or cat? Dogs
- Fantasy or reality? Fantasy
