Spencer Fleming Defends Master’s Thesis on Fertilizer Management in Michigan Crops
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EmailSpencer Fleming recently defended his CSS master’s thesis, “Altering Fertilizer Management Strategies to Improve Soybean and Sugar Beet Production in Michigan,” under the guidance of Dr. Kurt Steinke, Dr. Christina DiFonzo, and Dr. Zachary Hayden.
Family and friends joined him for the milestone as he shared the results of his work and celebrated the completion of his graduate program.
Spencer Fleming recently defended his CSS master’s thesis, “Altering Fertilizer Management Strategies to Improve Soybean and Sugar Beet Production in Michigan,” under the guidance of Dr. Kurt Steinke, Dr. Christina DiFonzo, and Dr. Zachary Hayden. Family and friends joined him for the milestone as he shared the results of his work and celebrated the completion of his graduate program.
Spencer grew up amid the rolling farmland of Gratiot County, about an hour north of East Lansing. School wasn’t always his primary interest—his favorite work as a teenager was hauling sugar beets. “I love working with heavy equipment,” Spencer recalls. But as he became more curious about what was happening in the fields he helped tend, the idea of pursuing higher education began to grow. That curiosity eventually led him crop and soil science right here in PSM.
A turning point came in his undergraduate studies. “When I took Dr. Steinke’s soils class, I pretty much decided I wanted to do grad school,” he says. While Spencer enjoys presenting his findings far more than writing them, he embraced the challenge that comes with communicating science. “I had to get comfortable with public speaking through all the meetings and field days we’re part of here, and now I actually like it,” he explains. “Working face-to-face with growers is the most rewarding, and it’s also the most challenging, because I only want to give them the best, most accurate information.”
Some of Spencer’s favorite experiences at MSU have been tied directly to the land—working with plants in the field, delivering good news to growers, and, of course, operating heavy equipment. “It’s a good program for that!” he jokes.
With his thesis completed, Spencer says he feels ready to enter the agricultural industry, ideally working in sugar beet nitrogen management and fertilizer studies. “I love it here, and I feel like I am helping people—my people,” he says.
