Steven Hall is a biogeochemist and ecosystem ecologist in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University. His research focuses on understanding patterns of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling across terrestrial and wetland ecosystems. This work spans ecosystems ranging from tropical forests to urban streams to agricultural wetlands, and addresses applied sustainability questions in addition to fundamental ecological mechanisms. He is particularly interested in better understanding how biotic/abiotic interactions among microbes, plants, and minerals affect the stabilization, transformation, and losses of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus. His work often involves the use of stable isotopes as tracers and integrators of biogeochemical cycles, and has spurred inter-disciplinary collaborations across fields ranging from atmospheric science to anthropology.