Erin Cortus

Erin Cortus wears a blue blazer and white floral blouse in a professional headshot taken outside the BAE building on campus.
Associate Professor
Extension Engineer
She/her/hers
[email protected]
+1 612 625 8288
210 BioAgEng Building

1390 Eckles Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
United States

Livestock Environment Engineering
Education
  • Ph.D. - University of Saskatchewan. 2007
  • B.E. - University of Saskatchewan. 2002
External Affiliations

American Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Canadian Society of Biological Engineering

Areas of Interest

Sustainable Livestock Production

Biography

The broad mission of my program is to work with producers and communities to understand and continually improve the quality and productivity of livestock environments. My specific applied research interests lie at the intersection of measuring and communicating sustainability metrics and improving air quality.

Teaching

POUL 5103 Poultry biosecurity: framework for healthy production

BBE 4502W BBE Capstone Design

Research

Current projects focus on biosecurity practices on poultry and livestock farms, manure characteristics and production rates (ManureDB.umn.edu), and on-farm greenhouse gas estimation methods. 

Select Publications

* indicates advisee

  • Erickson, M.*, Rovai, M., Villamediana, P., Schmidt, A., Stowell, R., & Cortus, E. (2025). Building value for dairy farmers and advisors in the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Environmental Stewardship Program. Translational Animal Science, 9(txaf038). https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf038
  • Erickson, M.*, Cortus, E. L., Koelsch, R., Johnson, L., Wilson, M., Andersen, D., . . . Schmidt, A. (2025). Manure use benefits and barriers according to agricultural stakeholders. Agronomy Journal, 117(e70110).  https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.70110
  • Nohhyeon, K*., Tsameret, S., Gaire, T. N., Mendoza, K. M., Cortus, E. L., Cardona, C., . . . Li, J. (2024). Influence of rainfall on size-resolved bioaerosols around a livestock farm. Science of the Total Environment, 954(2024), 176184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176184
  • Soriano, N. *, Janni, K., Chen, B.*, Wilson, M., & Cortus, E. (2024). A Multi-airspace Model to Investigate Airflow Patterns and Carbon Dioxide Emission Sources in Deep-pit Beef Cattle Finishing Facilities. Journal of the ASABE, 67(5), 1295-1308. doi: https://doi.org/10.13031/ja.15956
  • Soriano, N. *, Warmka, A. *, Janni, K., Wilson, M., & Cortus, E. (2024). Spatial and temporal variations of litter characteristics in a commercial turkey finishing barn. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 40(4). https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15914
  • Janni, K. A., & Cortus, E. L. (2024). Using a model to compare cooling system design factors for lactating cows. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 40(2), 233-242. https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15889
  • Deviney, A. V., Classen, J. J., Martin-Ryals, A., Cortus, E. L., Bird, K., Brewer, C. E., Kaleita, A. L., Miller, D. N., Rodríguez, L. F., Stone, M., & Vance, C. C. (2024). Expanding Transdisciplinary Collaborative Research to Graduate Education. Journal of the ASABE 67(3): 743-747. https://doi.org/10.13031/ja.15878.
  • Charlier, D., Wilson, M., Modderman, C., Cortus, E., Janni, K., Peterson, C., . . . Bender, J. B. (2023). Assessing occupational risks of manure applicators in the Upper Midwest. Journal of Agromedicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2022.2089423
  • Warmka, A.*, Cortus, E., Janni, K. Schuft, A.*, & Noll, S. (2022). Opportunities and Methods for Using Fluorescent Substances as a Proxy for Pathogen Transfer in Biosecurity Research. Journal of Agriculture Safety and Health. https://doi.org/10.13031/jash.15253
  • Bird, K. I. T., Nichols, V. A., Garay S., Nowatzke, M., Essary, C., Post, K. K., . . . Cortus, E. L. (2022). Means, motive, and opportunity: A method for understanding stakeholder agency within food-energy-water systems. Elementa 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00066
  • Aguirre-Villegas, H. A., Cortus, E., Reinemann, D. J. (2022). The Role of Anaerobic Digestion and Solar PV to Achieve GHG Neutrality in a Farm Setting. Energies 15(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/en15061975
  • Schuft, A. N.*, Boelke, S. S., DeWitte, D., Martinson, K., & Cortus, E. (2022). Biosecurity Education for the Next Generation. Journal of Ag Health and Safety. 28(2), 125-133. https://doi.org/10.13031/jash.14780
  • Sharara, S., Koelsch, R. K., Cortus, E. L., Larson, R. A., Classen, J. J., & Janni, K. A. (2022). Addressing nutrient imbalance in animal agriculture systems. Transactions of the ASABE. 65(2), 235-249. https://doi.org/10.13031/ja.14661
  • Turner, B., Wuellner, M., & Cortus, E. (2021). A multi-university cohort model for teaching complex and interdisciplinary problem-solving using system dynamics. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. [In Press]. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2778
  • Cortus, E. L., Hetchler, B., Spiehs, M. J., & Rusche, W. (2021). Environmental conditions and gas concentrations in deep pit finishing cattle facilities: A descriptive study. Transactions of the ASABE, 64(1), 31-48. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.14040
  • Janni, K., & Cortus, E. (2019). Common animal production systems and manure storage methods. In Animal Manure: Production, Characteristics, Environmental Concerns and Management. Madison, WI: ASA-SSSA-CSSA. doi: 10.2134/asaspecpub67.c3.
  • Wilson, M. L., Niraula, S., & Cortus, E. L. (2019). Nutrient characteristics of swine manure and wastewater. In Animal Manure: Production, Characteristics, Environmental Concerns and Management. Madison, WI: ASA-SSSA-CSSA. doi: 10.2134/asaspecpub67.c6.
  • Turner, B., Wuellner, M., & Cortus, E. (2021). A multi-university cohort model for teaching complex and interdisciplinary problem-solving using system dynamics. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. [In Press]. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2778
  • Cortus, E. L., Hetchler, B., Spiehs, M. J., & Rusche, W. (2021). Environmental conditions and gas concentrations in deep pit finishing cattle facilities: A descriptive study. Transactions of the ASABE, 64(1), 31-48. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.14040
  • Parker, D. B., Casey, K., Hales, K., Waldrip, H., B. M., Cortus, E., . . . Willis, W. (2020). Towards modeling of nitrous oxide emissions following precipitation, urine and feces deposition on beef cattle feedyard surfaces. Transactions of the ASABE, 63(5), 1371-1384. https://doi.org /10.13031/trans.13847
  • Akter, S.*, & Cortus, E. L. (2020). Comparison of Hydrogen Sulfide Concentrations and Odor Annoyance Frequency Predictions Downwind from Livestock Facilities. Atmosphere 11(3), 11(3), 249. doi:10.3390/atmos11030249.
  • Janni, K., & Cortus, E. (2019). Common animal production systems and manure storage methods. In Animal Manure: Production, Characteristics, Environmental Concerns and Management. Madison, WI: ASA-SSSA-CSSA. doi: 10.2134/asaspecpub67.c3.
  • Wilson, M. L., Niraula, S., & Cortus, E. L. (2019). Nutrient characteristics of swine manure and wastewater. In Animal Manure: Production, Characteristics, Environmental Concerns and Management. Madison, WI: ASA-SSSA-CSSA. doi: 10.2134/asaspecpub67.c6.
  • Miller, E., Spiehs, M., Arthur, T. M., Woodbury, B., Cortus, E., Chatterjee, A., . . . Schmidt, J. W. (2019). Cropland amendment with beef cattle manure minimally impacts antimicrobial resistance. Journal of Environmental Quality 48(6), 1683-1693. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.02.0042
  • Mehata, M.*, Cortus, E. L., Niraula, S., Spiehs, M. J., Darrington, J., Chatterjee, A., . . . Parker, D. (2019). Aerial Nitrogen Losses and Soil Nitrate Balances in Response to Fall-Applied Manure and Fertilizer Applications in Eastern South Dakota. International Journal of Agronomy 2019. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8572985. Nold, R., Mastellar, S. L., & Cortus, E. L. (2019). Simulating public meetings on controversial agricultural issues using cross-departmental collaboration. NACTA Journal, 63(2), 54-58.
  • Cortus, E. L., Darrington, J., & Thaler, R. C. (2019). Dynamic heat flux measurements from finishing pigs. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 35(4), 535. doi.org/10.13031/aea.13260
  • Niraula, S., Rahman, S., Chatterjee, A., Cortus, E. L., Mehata, M.*, & Spiehs, M. J. (2019). Beef Manure and Urea Applied to Corn Show Variable Effects on Nitrous Oxide, Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Ammonia. Agronomy Journal, 111(3), 1448. doi: 10.2134/agronj2018.08.0547
  • Cortus, E., Kasu, B., Jacquet, J., Embertson, N., Millmier Schmidt, A., Lim, T. T., & Heemstra, J. (2018). Relevant information sources in the vast and complex manure nutrient management network. Journal of Extension, 56(3). https://joe.org/joe/2018june/a6.php

Book Chapter (Published and/or Accepted While at UMN)

Honors and Awards

  • Dean’s Award for Distinguished Extension Faculty (2025)
  • Richard C. Newman Community Impact Award (2022)
  • Dean's Award for Distinguished Team - Extension Biosecurity Education Team (2018-19) 

Licensed Engineer in Minnesota and South Dakota