As Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation, Buhler supports the broad research and innovation mission at Michigan State University. His work focuses on the food, environment, and international research portfolios of the University. 

Buhler who is also a Professor of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, joined MSU in 2000 following positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service. Since joining MSU he has served as the Chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Associate Director and Director of MSU AgBioResearch, Senior Associate Dean for Research for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), as well as interim Dean of the CANR. 

Buhler's professional activities have generated over 330 publications including 130 refereed articles. Her has been an author or editor of three books and presented at over one hundred invited seminars, symposia, and workshops, and he has made presentations or represented MSU in over twenty countries. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Weed Science Society of America and is a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.