Ross Pifer
CENTER DIRECTOR

Professor Ross Pifer’s research focuses on shale gas development and the interface between agricultural and residential development. He has been an attorney with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of General Counsel, and he has advised military personnel and commands in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Great Britain, and Germany while on active duty with the U.S. Army JAG Corps at the Netherlands Law Center. He has presented widely throughout Pennsylvania, as well as nationally and internationally, on shale gas and agricultural law topics to audiences comprised of judges, attorneys, legislators, government officials, landowners, and the general public.

Brook Duer
STAFF ATTORNEY

Brook Duer joined Penn State Law’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law as a staff attorney in 2019. Prior to that, he was an attorney with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for 12 years, serving 8 of those years as Chief Counsel to the agency and supervising the agency’s legal office. Prior to that, Brook practiced law in Lancaster County for 18 years. Brook received a B.S. in Communications from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Jackie Schweichler
STAFF ATTORNEY

Jackie Schweichler is a staff attorney at Penn State Law’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law where she provides research and analysis on a variety of topics. As the primary author of the Shale Law Weekly Review, Jackie’s research in shale law focuses on pipelines and energy advancements while her research in agricultural law focuses on agritourism, seed law, pesticides, and rural development. Jackie has provided presentations for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the National Agricultural Law Center, and at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Jackie also co-teaches Agribusiness Law and Policy for Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Since 2019, she has managed Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Mediation Program, providing mediation services for landowners throughout the state. Jackie obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Edinboro University and subsequently earned her law degree from Penn State Law.

Chloe Marie
RESEARCH SPECIALIST

Chloe Marie has worked with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law since 2015 where she provides expert research and analysis on a wide variety of legal issues of relevance to the agricultural and energy sectors. Chloe is a regular speaker at and contributor to the Center’s Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar series and has provided presentations at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. She is also the main contributor to the Center’s Agricultural Law and Shale Law issue trackers.

Chloe earned a Bachelor of Law and Master of Law with a focus on construction and urban planning law from the University of Paris XI in France and a LL.M degree in American Law from the Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law, where she focused her studies on Energy and Natural Resources Law and Policy.

Audry Thompson
STAFF ATTORNEY

Audry is a 2022 graduate of Penn State Law and has worked with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law since 2019, writing the Agricultural Law Weekly Review and hosting the Agricultural Law Podcast. After teaching in public schools in Missouri’s southeastern “bootheel” region for seven years, Audry came to Penn State in 2016 to pursue graduate studies and then enrolled in Penn State Law after completing her Master’s degree in 2018. Before teaching, Audry spent nine years working in restaurants and kitchens, where she gained firsthand insight into the food industry and an appreciation of the numerous efforts—from farm to skillet—that go into each plate. As a law student, Audry served as an articles editor for the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs, a research assistant with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, and has completed the coursework requirements for a joint Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and policy studies.

Kendal Ashman
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Kendal grew up in a small town in south-central Pennsylvania and graduated from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA with a B.A. in political science. She is currently a J.D. Candidate for the Penn State Law class of 2024, and a member of several different organizations, including Phi Delta Phi and the military law caucus. She is currently employed by the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law as a research assistant, as well as an intern for the Maryland State Attorney’s Office for the summer of 2022. Kendal’s primary interest lies in the area of property law and how it relates to agricultural and shale law.

Kole Zellers
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Kole Zellers is originally from Salem, Ohio and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH with a B.A. in political science. At Penn State Law, Kole is involved with a number of organizations, including Phi Delta Phi and Phi Alpha Delta. Kole is also a Law Lion Ambassador for the school and has recently been selected as an Associate Editor for the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs. In his free time, Kole enjoys weightlifting, playing tennis, and creating digital music.

Dillon Lightfoot
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Dillon grew up in Longview, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Political Science. He is currently a joint J.D. Candidate with Penn State Law (’25) and M.I.A. Candidate with the Penn State School of International Affairs (’25). Dillon has been with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law since the summer of 2022 where he works on a variety of projects including the Ag Law Weekly Review. Starting in the fall of 2023, Dillon will serve as an Associate Editor for the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs. In his free time, Dillon enjoys running, watching the Dallas Mavericks, and spending time with his family.

Sergio Porras
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sergio Porras is a Research Assistant at the Penn State Ag & Shale Law Center, with roots in West Texas, where his family’s involvement in cattle ranching and oil fields sparked his interest in agriculture and energy sectors. He is currently a J.D. Candidate at Penn State Law (‘25) and writes developments for the Shale Law Weekly Review, the Farmland Energy podcast, and other projects for the Center. Prior to attending Penn State Law, Sergio received a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, Tx), and an MBA from the University of Texas at El Paso. His professional experience includes work in insurance and securities industry for Prudential Financial, and an externship in oil and gas law. Sergio is fluent in English and Spanish, with working proficiency in Portuguese. Beyond his professional aspirations, Sergio’s passions include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Texas barbecue, hiking, foraging, and chess.

Avery McLean
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Avery grew up on a Full Fleckvieh Simmental farm in Pilot Mound, Manitoba, Canada and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a B.S. in Biology (Environmental Science). She is currently a J.D. Candidate at Penn State Law (‘24) and holds a variety of organizational positions such as Associate Editor for the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs, Class Representative to the Student Bar Association, and Chair of the Mental Health & Wellness Committee. Outside of the law, Avery’s interests include bovine genetics, agricultural herbicide regulation, and college football on Saturdays (WE ARE!).

Jasmine Gunning
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Jasmine is a Lancaster, South Carolina native who graduated from University of South Carolina Upstate with a B.A. in political science and a B.S. in criminal justice. She is currently a J.D. candidate here at Penn State Law (’25) where she is involved in several organizations, including the Human Rights Society and the Immigration Law Society. At the Center, Jasmine researches and writes for the Shale Law Weekly Review.